Reaper in Red
by 0neWhoWanders
Summary: Life is hard for an orphan. Life is that much harder when that orphan isn't human. Ruby Rose wanted to experience life as a mortal girl, so she gave herself a family and a school to spend her time at. Can a person truly hide what they are in a world bent on their destruction?
1. Chapter 1

**This is the start to a story which came to me after reading the first chapter of Supernatural Affairs: Nine Cases by BrokenMimir. Go check that story out (after reading this one of course!). This story involves a tremendous amount of world-building and expansion on the world we all know and love with RWBY, with most of said world-building not even showing up in this story, at least for now. From the looks of things so far, each chapter should be a minimum 2000 words. Like my other story, if I fall below that number I'll let you know so you can publicly shame me to get my act together.**

**For now, I present to you this fun take on Ruby Rose. Here is:**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 1**

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"I can't believe my little baby sister Ruby is coming to Beacon with me!" The blonde-haired girl -Yang. My sister's name is Yang- squealed, pulling me into a tight hug, shaking me from side to side while doing so.

It took me a second to remember emotions. "Ugh, Yang! I need air to breath." I fumbled around, pushing lightly against her shoulder to feign attempts at escape. Yang did seem to take the hint and pulled back with a sheepish grin. I took the time to suck in air and gasp for breath like a human would in such a scenario.

"Sorry Rubes. I'm just so excited to be going to Beacon with my sister! I thought I would be waiting two years for you to join me, but no way! The little scythe wielding prodigy over here just had to find a way to stay with big sis."

I turned from Yang's smiling eyes to those of her father. My father. Taiyang, who prefers to be called Tai, except by his daughter -now daughters- who call him dad. Dad was smiling just as brightly. Though there were hints of worry in his eyes. I knew I had a reason for choosing this family.

"My two beautiful daughters are all grown up. And becoming huntsmen like your old man, no less. I'm going to miss you both so much when you go. I better see lots of pictures of you both together, whether or not you end up on the same team. I want stories and letters. But most of all, I want you both to do as best as you can and stay your happy selves."

With smiling, tear-stricken eyes, dad rushed over to the both of us, wrapping us in a hug which put Yang's to shame. There was no doubt in my mind where Yang received her immense strength from. Even if she did not look like a young female copy of him, I would know the two were related just from hugs alone.

But for once, I did not seem to mind, wrapping my own hands around him and pushing my face deeper into his chest. I breathed in his smell. Fresh grass and wildflowers. He had been working in the gardens today. He smelled really nice. And warm. It was soothing. Seeing as how Yang returned the hug with the same ferocity I did; it was the smell of comfort and home. I was going to miss this place when I left.

I never thought I would miss anywhere.

Dad finally pulled back, grasping onto our shoulders with his strong, fatherly hands. His eyes were red, having been crying lightly in both happiness and sorrow. A small sniffle and a chuckle followed. "You both make me so proud. I know Summer would be telling you the same thing. I love you both. Now, off to bed. You have a long morning of packing before the bullhead to Beacon arrives."

With a final squeeze of my shoulder, he spun me around and gently pushed me off towards the stairs to the guestroom. My room. The Xiao-Longs don't own a guestroom anymore, it's now mine.

I did as commanded and walked up the stairs, turning left to reach the washroom I shared with Yang. The past week, Yang and I washed up together. Brushing our teeth like normal people and laughing at our silly faces in the mirror. To her, we had been doing so since I could walk. But today I asked Yang if I could wash up alone. She thought it was just the nerves talking. Not too often did one meet the headmaster to the most famous huntsman school in the world and then get accepted into said school mere moments later. I did not attempt to shake the notion from her head. For once, it was fairly close to the truth. She smiled at me and walked passed, towards her own bedroom to change.

I locked the door to the washroom, relaxing as soon as I heard the faint click. I placed my weight on the washroom counter, staring into the mirror ahead of me, breathing out a deep breath. I had done it. I was going to go to Beacon. I left that life behind me and even had a plan for keeping it at bay for at least a few months.

If all really went according to plan, then I would start feeling the pulsing-

My chest tightened as I gasped slightly for breath.

The pulsing began just on time. It was a similar feeling to a quickening heart. For one, my heartbeat did increase, although so too did the pressure and strength of each beat. Power seemed to flow from my chest outwards, ringing gently in my ears. I turned on the tap water to sound like I was washing up. Instead, I closed my eyes and allowed the pulse to grow. Fingertips biting into the ceramic countertop to keep from shaking.

The pulse was strong. Extremely strong. I had to put in everything I had to keep it at bay as the pressure grew exponentially.

In a moment of weakness, I let out a gentle squeak. My eyes were shut tightly, but I managed to reach for the sink and shut off the water. Between pulses, I let out a quick, "goodnight Yang! Goodnight dad!"

I rushed into my bedroom, slamming the door closed. Dad or Yang might have shouted to stop slamming my door, but I could not hear it over the sound of my own heart pulsing in my ears.

It was time. The pressure was too much to stomach and I felt the change coming upon me with such a force I had rarely ever felt. I allowed the change to take hold of me. The lights in my room began to dim as my body sucked in all the light, leaving just empty shadows remaining. My signature red hood and cape became a cloak, winding itself around my body and extending to the floor, hiding my feet from view. I pulled the hood over my head, just as the first tendrils of thick black shadow were absorbed into my outer garment. The red faded until only black remained.

I opened my hand, allowing the shadows to pull together into the physical symbol of my people. I closed my hand over the growing length of my weapon. It extended down to the floor and up over my head. The shadows pooled together, the long polearm finishing its growth over my brow and the blade extending well passed my side, finishing in a gleaming, sharp tip.

I lifted my scythe off the ground, holding it in both hands. Breathing out, I did something I rarely did while like this. I smiled.

This would be my last one. My last once for hopefully many months. The pressure in my chest was still building to a crescendo, but now in this form, it was easier to handle. I passed through the outer wall so that I floated outside in the cool evening air. Looking back at the Xiao-Long household, I saw as the electric lights in my room flickered on as soon as I departed. Just as the natural lights around me outside dimmed.

With a final breath of resignation, I moved forward through the setting sky, following the direction of the pulse.

Patch was a small island a boat-ride away from the mainland continent. It had fewer people than the major cities, but more than the outlier towns which popped up whenever the Grimm threats in the area were eliminated. That was mainly due to the huntsman trainee school in the center of town. Having on hand dozens of people who were hoping to become real huntsmen, as well as trained huntsmen teachers, meant that few Grimm or their more dangerous counterparts, Salemites, could gain a foothold on the island. Not that the island was bereft of the dangers. There were many old and intelligent creatures which hid on the island. Ancient Grimm lurked in the deepest parts of the forests to the North of the main town, but had kept themselves hidden for generations. Intelligent with age to know that only death awaited them and their kind if they attempted to attack.

Vampires lurked in the shadows as well. Some fed off humans who strayed too close to their layers, but most satiated themselves with rats and other vermin. The practice of creating new vampires had long since been used on the island. It was too risky a place to attempt it anyways.

There were other creatures which prowled the woods as well. Chimeras were common enough that Signal was known as the prime destination to practice hunting the allusive fire-breathers. So too did zombies inhabit the forests to the West, stumbling around in their pack of hundreds. They were generally left alone unless they wandered too close to civilization. But they were soulless, mindless creatures, so I did not think about them too often.

My mind and pulsing heart were focused on just one creature. As I hid within shadows, I was pulled towards an abandoned warehouse in the industrial sector of the island. The orange glow of old street lights dimmed in my presence. The only sign that one of my kind was there. For those few workers still walking around at this time of night, they assumed it was just the age of the bulbs, rather than any mystical presence. Not too often did one see my kind.

I found the warehouse I was looking for. It was old and rundown. The metal door was rusted heavily and the hinges had rusted through entirely, keeping the heavy door from swinging open to peer inside. The few windows almost twenty feet up, were glossed over and covered in grime. The warehouse must have once held oil drums or dirty car parts when it was in use. The roof looked to be partially collapsed, with the peak having buckled and collapsed in on itself at least a decade before. It was probably from many seasons of heavy rain and snow. The roofs had to be replaced regularly back then to keep the extra strain from the weight from breaking them. There was a side entrance. A heavy door with a sign on it reading,

_Caution. Harmful gases and fumes. All workers must wear proper PPE and oxygen masks to enter._

Overtop the sign was fading yellow caution tape, warning those from even attempting to enter it. Not that that would be too much of a problem, seeing as the door was locked and deadbolted to keep shut. Nobody would be trying to get in anytime soon.

Except for me. I slowly wafted through the thick brick wall, allowing tendrils of smoky shadow to pull me through the solid barrier. There were no lights inside for my presence to dim.

The warehouse interior was mostly empty, save for a small bed and makeshift kitchen and washroom. Very much the antithesis of what could be assumed from the outside. Crouched on the ground, leaning heavily on the bedside was a coughing man. I crept slowly and quietly towards him. He coughed loudly into the crook of his elbow. He wiped the blood away from his thin lips. A final cough and he looked towards me. There was pain in his eyes but also hard anger.

"Come to finish the job, I see?" He growled at me, baring his fangs.

I said nothing, for there was nothing to say. I gazed into his eyes, allowing my presence to calm and sooth him. His hateful gaze relaxed slowly before another coughing fit overtook him.

"You are small. You must be young." The ancient vampire said. I nodded at his implied question. To that, he smiled.

"I'm quite old. Never thought you would see a vampire die of old age, did you?" He laughed, his laughter turning into a phlegm filled fit of rasping coughs. "Not often do we get the chance to go out this way. I'm glad I made it. Lost a lot of friends along the way, but they did tell me I was a lucky one."

I watched as he continued to reflect on his life. It was a common thing for those old beings to do so. So many years spent living. And now faced with death, it was cathartic to think back on the good times before venturing into the unknown. I allowed him to muse on. There was no rush. I just wanted to make his last moments as happy and relaxing as possible.

"I've been all over the world. Did you know that? I was there when Mistral rose as a kingdom. I missed Vale though. I was galivanting in Vacuo, painting pictures of the desert then. Was told it was a waste of time, but I enjoyed it. Young Reaper, if there is anything this old vampire can teach you, is that no time is wasted doing what you love. History can pass you by, but if you had fun during your time on this world, then it was all worth it. No regrets here. Not a one. Not many my age can say that."

He coughed one last time, spitting down droplets of blood onto the stone floor. With a shuddering breath, he gazed at the window, where faint moonlight was peering in, only to be disturbed by my presence.

"I think I'm ready. Reaper, what's over there?" He looked at me so full of hope.

It was a shame that all I could do was shrug and shake my head.

He sighed. "You don't know either, huh. Guess that means it's just one more adventure. Into the unknown, eh? If I'm going out, I want to do it gazing at the moon through my window one last time."

The ancient vampire took in a deep breath and looked straight ahead to the moonlight entering the room. With a serene smile and not even a hesitant view at me, I proceeded forward, my scythe tightening in my grasp.

With a soft nick on his shoulder, I pulled his soul from his body. The mortal body slumped forwards and I helped his soul start its journey into the next realm. Light tears streamed down my face as I did so. It was hard to see anyone go, much less one whom had lived far longer than I had.

Finally, with the dying soul reaped, the pulsing in my body slowed and stopped. It was over. My final reaping for now was complete. I was free to do what I wanted now. Without fear of the pulsing or discovery. I smiled as I waded through the warehouse wall once more and continued on my return journey to the Xiao-Long household.

Tomorrow I would be going to Beacon. To train as a huntress and learn as much as I could about this world and the creatures who lurked in it; both human and not. My time as Ruby Rose the Grim Reaper was at an end. I giggled happily at the thought as I settled in, in my bed. The black shadows of my form long since disappearing, leaving simple old me behind. Tomorrow I would be starting my time as Ruby Rose the huntress prodigy in training. Ruby Rose the little sister to Yang Xiao-Long, as the second daughter to Taiyang Xiao-Long. Daughter to a human Summer Rose and not Summer Rose, the Grim Reaper who died at the hands of that drunken monster.

Tomorrow, my new life as a human would begin.

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**Next week will be the next chapter in Rhodopis in Remnant. Stay tuned for the second chapter to this story. Still working out the posting schedule for this, so for now expect chapter two of Reaper to come out in 3 weeks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well that was awesome. Super long wait after the first chapter, but the waiting is finally over! Will most likely switch to an every other week schedule instead of this once every three weeks one. But until that is decided, here you all go!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 2**

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"Illusive gentleman thief, Roman Torchwick who was foiled in an attempted dust robbery two days ago has still not been apprehended by law enforcement or the huntsmen teams sent to capture him. He was last seen in Vale and is armed and dangerous. Don't attempt to fight him. Instead, call local law enforcement with any information you have."

Yang lifted me up into the air with a laugh. One which I reciprocated with practiced ease. "That was you Rubes!"

"Yang!" I whined happily as she put me down. "I don't need everybody knowing that. I just want to be a normal huntress."

"Ha! Like my talented little Torchwick slaying sister could be anything but the bee's knees." Yang nudged me with her shoulder. "And now we're on our way to Beacon. Going to get ourselves some teams and partners and become the most kick-ass monster fighting duo this side of Remnant."

"You think we'll be partners?" I asked, looking at Yang -my big sister- hopefully.

Yang shrugged. "Don't know. Anything's possible Rubes. But it's always good to make new friends. Even if we aren't partners, or even on the same team, you and I both know we'll still be best friends. Come on, we're sisters! Even a little sisterly competition isn't going to stop us from becoming the huntress duo we talked about since we were kids."

"Oh ya, right. Since we were kids…" I repeated, sheepishly. I forgot about giving her that memory. "Yang? Aren't I still a kid?"

Yang ruffled my hair, as I tried to bat her hands away with only a slight amount of whining.

"Yes you are! And don't you forget that. Fifteen years old and already trying to be an adult like her big sis over here!"

Yang smiled and pointed at herself. All I could do was smirk at her behavior. She was more of a child than I was. Seventeen years old was not even a real adult by human standards. And at my age? Yang was nothing but a baby. But, it felt nice to play the younger sister. I really did look fifteen, so I guessed it worked out well. If I just told everybody that my body matured slowly, none would be the wiser. At least for the first few years. It really would suck if people found out I was fifteen… plus a hundred years to that.

My thoughts turned as I heard the heavy breathing and gasping of a blond-haired teenager as he wobbled through the flying ship, making his way to the garbage can. Grasping onto the sides, he stuck his face inside, letting out a torrent of unpleasant sounds and stomach contents.

"Gross!" Exclaimed someone nearby. Multiple people clutched their noses, waving the stench away with their hands. The blond could only look at them apologetically, his face a little green.

I laughed a little at his plight, but followed my sister as she took a step away from him. I couldn't really fault her. Whatever his stomach had expunged smelled really awful to my human senses. So much so that my face scrunched up involuntarily.

"Sorry," I muttered sheepishly.

"Bullhead B-17 will be arriving in the Beacon Academy Loading Docks in five minutes," sounded the computerized voice coming from the loud speakers around the ship. "Please find your baggage and weapons before you exit the ship. Any bags left on this ship will be left in lost-and-found at the Vale Bullhead Station. Thank you for flying with us."

I smiled, hopping on my toes while holding onto Yang's arm. I was excited. There was no denying that. For the first time ever, I would be going to school! There was something just so exciting about that prospect. To learn something new every day and finally have somebody to ask all my questions to.

Yang looked more excited to meet new people than to sit around in classes all day, but to each their own. People; especially humans, lived such short lives that there really was no point to becoming friends with them. Not counting Yang or Tai -dad- of course. They were my family, so they could be honourary friends.

But all the books! So many smart people to talk to and even learning how to fight better. I was pretty good with my scythe if I did say so myself. Not my Reaper scythe -well, that one too- but my baby. My Crescent Rose, high-caliber sniper scythe I designed with mom for my hundredth birthday. I loved the weight of it on my side. While most people put their weapons away in the lockers provided on the bullhead, I kept a hold of mine on my person. Yang did the same with her weapons, but in their off-state, they looked like big bracelets, so that was no problem for her.

I ran to the window, dragging Yang along with me as the tall tower of Beacon Academy appeared through the clouds. I gasped in delight at the view. I could see so far! Beacon Tower, standing there in all its stone glory was surrounded by smaller stone buildings which made up the many classroom halls and dormitories of the campus.

My ears popped as we began our descent into the school. I giggled as they popped, enjoying the all too human sensation. As well as Yang's funny face as she tried to force her ears to pop without needing to yawn.

The doors opened to a line of upper year teachers, telling the students which way to go to reach the main hall. Not that many were paying attention to them, instead taking in the sights and smells of the famous academy. I could hear them droning on about something, but I joined my fellow absent-minded students in shrugging them off to look at the buildings. I felt a finger poking my shoulder. Spinning around I saw Yang smiling.

"Hey, just wanted to let you know I saw some of my friends. I'll meet you in the main hall!"

"No, wait Yang-"

"Sorry Rubes I'll see you soon, bye!" She waved me off, bounding towards another group of students, mingling and shouting among themselves.

There goes the one person I knew in this entire place.

Picking a direction, I started walking, looking from side to side at the brilliant hand-carved stonework as well as the cobblestone path's fine craftsmanship. Not a single blade of grass poked out from the cracks in the tiles.

"Ugh!" I shouted, accidentally walking into something.

"You- you unfocused dolt!" Make that someone. "Watch where you're going next time!"

"Sorry," I replied, looking at the white-haired girl in the eyes. Her unfriendly gaze and pursed lips screamed annoyance.

"You almost knocked over hundreds of lien worth of finely cut, precious dust! You could have even caused an explo-"

Oh no. I felt something tickle my nose. I gasped for breath, trying to remove the foul tickling. Only to sneeze, blasting myself sky-high as the dust particles in the air ignited in my face.

"Ugh!" the white-haired girl stomped her foot angrily. "You could have really hurt somebody with your foolishness. What is a child like you even doing in a school like this, huh?"

"I'm here for the same reason as you princess." I responded tersely.

"Princess?!" She shouted back at me.

"Heiress actually." We both turned to see a newcomer gazing at us from behind a book. Her raven black hair framed her face well, all underneath a cute purple bow. "She's Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

"Thank you. Finally, some proper recognition." Weiss smiled a pristine and perfectly trained smile.

"The same company who is known for their abuse of faunus and disagreeable business practices."

Weiss's smile dropped. "Why. I-" Unable to get a clear sentence out, she huffed angrily and stomped her foot down, choosing instead to leave angrily.

"Nice to meet you Weiss!" I shouted off to her, waving a hand. Surprisingly, her quickened pace turned into angry stomps and clenched fists.

"Thank you." I said to the black-haired girl, who only shrugged with a light smile and continued on her way, still reading her book as she walked.

I continued onward. I stopped. Crap, I had no idea where I was going. Nor where I was. I was officially lost.

With a groan, I fell backwards, laying on the ground and staring at the sky. "Why does this always happen to me."

Birds chirped merrily from their perches in the trees, or flying through the wind above. Two small blue birds twisted and tweeted, spinning in circles passed the afternoon sun. A small smile tugged at my lips.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" I turned to look at the male voice above me. With a friendly smile, I recognized the blond-teenager from the ship. He had his hand extended towards me.

"Need a hand up from the ground?"

"I think I'm alright. The ground and I have an understanding of each other." I petted the stone ground with mock affection. It brought out a chuckle from him.

Returning his smile, I allowed him to help me to my feet. "Hi, I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose."

"Hello Ruby. I'm- wait, Ruby Rose?" The blond questioned. He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"I don't know. I'm just a normal girl. No bees in these knees!"

"Wait, what?"

"Pretend I didn't say anything."

He shrugged in compliance. "No, isn't there a story or something about a Ruby Rose?"

"Oh!" I shouted in understanding. He did not know me. Not Ruby Rose, the girl in front of him. "You mean the poem!"

The blond snapped his fingers. "That's it. I knew I recognized it from somewhere. I think we read it in class last year."

"Ruby rose and hope did too." I recited. "My mom said she named me after the Ruby in the poem. It was always my favourite."

The blond shuddered. "Ya, it's nice. Still gives me the creeps though. Glad we don't have to face Bloody Ruby, right?"

I smiled, "scared of a little vampire, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not really. Well, I guess I am. But how could you not be? They're just so freakish. With their fangs and ugh." He shuddered at the thought. "It's really witches I'm after, though. Maybe if I can somehow become strong enough, I'll try to go for some of the even bigger monsters out there. Maybe I could do what my dad did!"

"What did your dad do?"

"Apparently when he was younger he fought off a Grim Reaper! Dad said he killed it, but none of my family really believes it. Even he doesn't know if he managed to get it fully. But no matter. I'm more interested in witches." His speech slowed and his eyes lingered on the ground as we walked. The silence was just what I needed then.

Grim Reaper slayers? Not many could achieve such a feat. Only the strongest could go toe to toe with a reaper, so his dad must have been incredibly strong to survive an encounter. He was probably just gushing. No way would he know about me. And no way could his dad have defeated a Grim Reaper-

"Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself." He laughed happily, "my name's Jaune. Jaune Arc."

I froze.

Arc. Holy crap I've been walking alongside an Arc all this time. I had to get out of there somehow. I had to run and hide before he turned around and killed me. I'm talking with someone of the Reaper Slayer lineage. I could definitely believe it now. Jaune's dad has definitely killed Reapers. This was not good, could he smell me? Could he see into my soul and know who, no, what I was? This was not good at all. Incredibly not good-

"Hey, do you know where you're going?"

"I was following you…"

The two of us turned around and proceeded back the way we came. I walked silently, tight-lipped and shuddering whenever I felt his hand come a little to close to me. Yet still he droned on about this and that. I could not pay too much attention to him now that I knew who he was.

But still, as the minutes passed and my head remained firmly attached to my neck, I slowly calmed down. He wasn't paying any extra attention to me. No sideways glances or touching of his weapon, as he spoke about home. He had no idea who I was. I was safe in my anonymity. It was… nice.

Finally, I rejoined the conversation. When he told me about his six sisters, I told him about Yang. He showed me his weapon. His collapsing shield and double-edged sword -so cool- and I showed him my scythe.

It was strange to just talk to someone, especially someone I knew could one day grow up and kill me. But as time passed by and we finally made our way into the main hall, I felt like I could count him as a colleague. Maybe even one day, a friend. Ha, Ruby Rose making a friend. Who would have thought possible?

"Hey over here, I saved you a spot!" I saw Yang waving her hands in the air, trying to get my attention.

"Oh, hi!" I waved back before turning to Jaune. "I see my sister over there. I'll see you soon?"

"Ya, sure. It was great meeting you Ruby."

"You too Jaune." And I meant it.

We waved at each other as we went our separate ways. Standing beside my sister, gazing at the empty stage in front of us, I felt her hip knock into mine.

"So… who was that? New boyfriend?"

I blanched. "No, no way! Yuk! Gross Yang! Why?" I whined, much to her heartfelt laughter.

"Just messing with you Rubes. Told you, you would make a friend."

"Ya, but I think somebody else hates me. So that's plus one friend and minus one friend."

"Hey don't think of it as minus one friend." Yang smiled with joy. "Think of it as making one friend and one enemy!"

"You!" The white-haired girl stomped towards me.

"No, it's happening again!"

"Finally found your way here, didn't you? Of course a child would manage to get lost on a straight sidewalk. Blow up in anyone else's faces?"

Yang guffawed. "Blow up? No-" She shook the thought from her head. "Maybe we all got off on the wrong foot. Why don't we all just reintroduce ourselves and become friends? I'm Yang Xiao-Long."

"I'm Ruby Rose, do you want to be friends?"

"Yes, let's be friends! We can paint our nails and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde and scraggly over there."

"Really?" I perked up.

"No!" Weiss threw her hands up in the air. Before she was able to continue with whatever she no doubt had planned to yell at me now about, a hush fell over the crowd.

Walking onstage with a cane in his hand was a grey-haired man with green spectacles resting low on his nose. He stopped in front of the microphone at the center of the stage. Without so much as a word, the entire crowd was silent, waiting for the man to speak.

"Good afternoon, young huntsmen and huntresses. My name is Professor Ozpin. You can call me Headmaster, Professor or Ozpin. It matters not. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your skills and acquire new ones which will allow you to face the immense challenges of this world. When you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. As I look out towards all of you, all I see is wasted energy. Potential in need of purpose and direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time here at this school will prove just the opposite. Knowledge in some ways can take you far. In others, it will hold you back and shake the very foundations you have raised yourselves on. Knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

With that less than cheerful message, he left the stage, only for his spot to be replaced by another. Deputy headmistress Glynda Goodwitch. I recognized her from my pretend scuffle with Roman Torchwick.

"All of you will be spending the night here. Tomorrow morning I will wake you and you will follow me to initiation. Get some sleep now. You will need it."

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**A bit of a return to canon, with a few changes and world-building sprinkled through. And of course, some new questions being brought to light. Is it wrong of me to be nervous posting this, after such an awesome first response?**

**Chinaluv – Thanks!**

**Gothboy – I guess you'll just have to find out! PS. your name ends with .wxlf which ffn thinks is a website, so it keeps on removing it every time I write this blurb!**

**Kaito Chidori - I'm glad that you're taking a chance on my first person POV. If as you're reading it, you find some problems with it, or anything that needs addressing, please let me know.**

**Lasereye27 - Going to be a lot of fun to see how that whole relationship and drama comes into play. *wink wink***

**JackTheSpades - Thanks for the review! Yes, this first chapter I wanted to get a whole bunch of information out of the way before the story really starts. You seem to have picked up on most, if not all of it (which is awesome!) The dead Summer thing is a pretty good story instigator as hopefully you will see in (much) later chapters. As for your question, it is indeed the former, as can be seen in this chapter. Hidden world stories are great, but Remnant already has the monsters of Grimm. What would be the point of hiding other fantastical creatures from everyone? I do hope that I can have Reaper live up to your expectations and praise.**

**And thank you all for reading this story! In one fell swoop, you guys have made this story my most followed one I've ever written! Thanks for the support and love. I will see you all with another chapter of Reaper in 3 weeks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, apparently I need some sort of text up here to keep my title aligned properly. I guess you learn something new every day.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Sleep did not come quickly to me. It never did. I never slept much. I did not know if that was just me, or what I was. Not that it really mattered. I just had some extra hours to fill while all those around me relaxed in unconsciousness. There was some tossing and turning, but most were still and unmoving in their sleeping bags. Training to be hunters would do that to a person. There was no reason to fear the night if you were training to fight back against all that lurked in it.

I sat up in my sleeping bag, peering at my sister fast asleep beside me. Her bag was open, her body strewn around it, taking up twice the space she needed, snoring loudly with drool hanging down her chin. I smiled at the sight. She was such a dork. A strong, brave and incredibly nice dork. I was so glad I chose her as my sister.

I looked up, noticing a light against the wall of the main hall. Creeping carefully from my resting space, I walked towards it, fixing the hem of my pajama pants so the cool late-night air did not touch my stomach.

Against the wall, in one of the room's few leather chairs, was the raven-haired girl whom had saved me from a scolding the previous day.

"Hello," I whispered to her. "My name's Ruby."

Gazing up from her book, she looked at me with her piercing golden eyes. "Blake," she replied.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I questioned, sitting down cross-legged in front of her.

She shrugged. "Shouldn't you?"

I thought for a moment before smiling in reply. "What are you reading?"

"It's a story about a woman trapped in a cave with a Wendigo of her husband."

"Not a light read?"

Blake smiled softly. "It's actually a love story. The woman needs to find out what her husband is jealous of in order to turn him back into a human."

"I don't think Wendigos work that way."

"it's just a story. It does get most facts about Wendigos correct though, so a little story-spinning to give the tale a happy ending isn't so bad."

"I guess." I did not have much more to add to the conversation. Picking it as a lost cause, I grinned and said goodnight to her, returning to my sleeping bag. It would be hours before I fell asleep, but in that time, I saw her lower her book and sleep on her chair.

The bright light of day hit my eyes before my sister could. She shook me roughly, waking me from my light slumber. I yawned, rubbing sleep from my eyes with my knuckles. "Morning Yang. Ready for initiation?"

"How could I not be! I'm so pumped up. This is going to be sweet. Finally, we get to show what we're made of."

"Ya! I'm so excited to use Crescent Rose. No more talking, just letting my baby do all the talking for me."

Professor Goodwitch was instructing everyone to get changed into their combat gear and prepare for the trek to initiation.

I washed myself up, and changed from my sleeping clothes into my usual attire. My combat skirt and my red hood tied around my neck. I relished in the heavy comfort of the garment, hugging it tightly around myself before picking up my weapon and equipping it to my belt.

Yang grinned at me as we made it to the door, following behind a crowd of other students and Professor Goodwitch, leading them through the campus.

When she had said trek, she really meant it. The crowd of students walked for two hours, from one end of campus to the other and back again. The deputy headmistress recited location names and a very basic history of each building on this tour, as everyone looked around to get a feel for the place. Their own gazes were met by those of upper year students who gave them thumbs up and words of encouragement, remembering their own time as initiates. I even mustered up the courage to wave shyly to them in passing.

Outside of the campus, the group proceeded through a forest. Marching for another hour, now on uneasy terrain, I realized that this was the first part of initiation. They were trying to tire us out with hours of walking and hiking. If anyone could not handle this pace, then they would be unable to handle what challenges awaited them at their destination. Most were in good spirits. So was I, loving the early morning breeze and the pleasant conversation with my big sister. Others were joking around and laughing at each other's jokes.

The forest broke out into a clearing overlooking a tall cliff. Standing near the edge of the cliff was Headmaster Ozpin, sipping on a tall mug of steaming coffee.

"Please students. Stand on an empty platform in front of you so that we may begin."

I chose the platform next to Yang's, giggling as I hopped on it, feeling it rise and fall underneath me like a springboard.

"Now students. This is your initiation. You will all be dropping into Emerald Forest below. Your objective is to find the artifacts awaiting you inside. Be warned, there are more than just Grimm in these forests. So keep on guard for any other Salemites you see. Any questions?"

"How will be getting down?" Jaune asked.

"You will be falling," Ozpin replied behind his mug. "I will allow each of you to choose your own landing strategies."

"And what are landing strategies?"

Ozpin remained silent as his answer, allowing for the next person to ask their question.

"When do we pick partners?" Someone I did not recognize said with a raised arm.

"Ah yes. Partners will be chosen today as well. That being said, the first person who meets your eyes will be your partner for the next four years at this school. Good luck."

With a click of a button, all the platforms underneath our feet launched forward, propelling us high into the air. I saw Yang laughing, activating Ember Celica, her armband weapons and firing behind her, pushing herself higher into the air and farther out. Not one to be left behind, I reached behind and opened up Crescent Rose to its fullest extent. The massive scythe felt comfortable in my hands as I swung it around, letting the brilliant weight pull me down towards the treetops below.

As I made it through the light green leaves, I fired towards the ground, letting the recoil slow my fall. Wrapping the blade around a tree, I swung, shooting myself horizontally and landing on my feet. I giggled, raising my hands in a gymnast's finishing pose. My smile quickly turned into a frown as I noticed two eyes glaring daggers at me.

"Nope." Weiss said, walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey! We're supposed to be… partners." My shout drifted off into a mumble as she disappeared from view.

I stared at the shrub filled dirt ground, kicking dust from the tip of my boot.

"Fine," I heard, seeing Weiss returning with an even deeper scowl on her lips.

"Yay!" I managed as she dragged me behind her.

"Let me get one thing straight with you. I don't want to be babysitting you for four years. So, don't even think about slowing me down."

I zipped around in front of her, rose petals appearing out of the shadows left in my wake. "Don't think being slow will be my problem. I'm super-duper fast. Today you'll see me running around and be like, 'look at her go. I just want to be her friend. She's so fast and brave and cute!' That's you by the way."

"It really isn't. Just get your head in this and help me find the artifact so we can win this initiation."

"I don't think initiation is something you can just win, Wiess."

"Everything is something you can win. Don't forget it."

I heard rustling in the bushes to my right. Stopping, I turned to look at the sound. The leaves rustled and I held up my scythe in a defensive position.

Suddenly, they darted forward, tiny wings shooting out a trail of glowing dust behind them. I waved a hand in front of my face, shooing the tiny creatures from my vision.

"Ew, I hate fairies." I said as they darted passed. "They always have a bit of slime on them. I'm going to need to wash my hands before they really start to stink."

"I don't want to hear about those pests. Let's just keep moving."

"What do you think they were flying from?"

My question was immediately answered as a loud growl rang out through the forest. Surrounding the two of us were beowolves. I sighed, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "Phew! Just grimm. I got scared for a moment."

"Pay attention dolt! They're still grimm and able to kill us if you aren't paying attention."

Weiss unsheathed her rapier, holding the deadly sharp blade out in front of her. As if our thoughts were connected, we darted in opposite directions, each killing a grimm with a single blow. Working our way clockwise, we struck fast and hard, working in perfect unison as the creatures of grimm evaporated in black smoke as they died by our hands.

Still, it seemed like Weiss was having an easier time than me. Not because she was more proficient with her weapon. No, she just did not seem to be getting attacked as much as me. Even the beowolves she was fighting attempted to circumvent her and attack me.

Right. I almost forgot what mom told me. It's a Grim Reaper thing. Darn. I swung my scythe around in a massive arc, decapitating two creatures. I heard a growl behind me, followed by a whimper as the grimm died mid-air. The tip of a rapier running through an eye.

"Pay more attention to your surroundings. That could have killed you."

Fat chance.

"Thanks Weiss," I said instead, allowing her to choose the direction and continue on towards where she thought the artifacts were hidden.

The two of us walked for some time. We did not spot any more grimm, but we did manage to kill a zombie or two. There did not seem to be any hordes at the moment, so fending the undead off was sort of a boring affair.

"You sure we're going in the right direction?" I asked.

"What would you suggest if you think you could do so much better?" Weiss crossed her arms, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Well, we can't see much from the ground, right? What if we take more…aerial approach?"

"I won't like where this is going, will I…"

I shook my head with a smile as we heard the caw of a massive nevermore.

"I don't like the sound of that." Weiss mentioned, lifting up her fencing foil and staring at the sky between the trees.

"Hang on!" I shouted, holding Crescent Rose under me with one hand, the other finding a place around Weiss's waste.

"What are you do-ING!" Weiss cried out as I rocketed us into the air towards the nevermore. With a second shot, we were right in the grimm bird's face.

"Grab it!" I commanded merrily, tucking away my weapon and grabbing onto a talon. Weiss screamed, choosing to hang onto me instead of the bird.

"What do you think you are doing, Ruby Rose!" She shouted in panic. "Get me down from here this instant! I command you!"

"Look over there." I pointed with my free hand towards a clearing. The forest opened up into an ancient worn-down temple, covered in massive chiseled boulders. "I bet that that's where the artifacts are hidden."

"And how do you suppose we get there, you dunce? Not like we can ask the grimm nicely to fly us over there!" Venom crept into her voice as her finely combed hair blew into disorder in the wind rushing around our faces. Her body wound tighter against mine as she hung on like her life depended on it.

With a smile, I tugged on the nevermore's talon. It dipped sideways under our combined body weight, turning in the direction of the clearing. It cawed loudly as it tried to fight against the excess weight, but I held on tight, pulling again whenever the bird veered in another direction. As we flew over top the clearing, I let go.

My shouts of delight were met with my partner's cries for my death as we hurtled towards the ground.

A second landing strategy later, and we were safely in the clearing.

"Bravo sis!" I heard the clapping and cheers of my sister. Beside her was the raven-haired girl, Blake.

"Hi Yang! Hi Blake! Are you two partners?"

Yang nodded as I skipped towards the duo, brushing myself off. Behind me, my own grumbling partner trudged forward, keeping behind me and trying to fix her hair as best as she could. Her landing was not as graceful as mine was.

"So, I guess we're the first group to make it here, huh." Yang said. "Want to pick our artifacts?"

Blake shrugged and picked up a white horse chess piece, holding it out for the remaining three of us to look at.

"Oh it's so cute! I want one too!" I squealed, not realizing I had said my thoughts out loud until I heard Yang's laughter.

"Don't worry sis. I think there's another one of them over there."

I turned to Weiss, silently asking if I could. With an eye roll and a hand wave of permission, I rushed over to the other white horse and held it up over my head. With a loud whinny, I ran back to them.

"Child," Weiss commented.

"Princess," I replied just as quickly.

"What now?" Blake asked. "Do we just wait here until they tell us we're done?"

We all shrugged. Weiss opened her mouth, only for whatever she planned on saying to be drowned out by a shouting in the distance.

"Heeyah!" A red-head girl and black-haired boy came charging in, riding on top of a grimm borbatusk. The animal squealed as it's face dug into the ground, rocketing to a stop in front of us. The girl jumped off with a frown.

"Aw, he died. Renny, do you think I could get another one?" The redhead bounced around her friend. Renny, she had called him.

"Maybe another day, Nora."

The two having finished their conversation walked up to us and introduced themselves. Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Not Renny. Apparently only Nora was allowed to call him that, judging by the glare of anger she gave me when I used it.

We did not have too much time to introduce ourselves as they grabbed their own chess piece; a black castle, and we heard new shouting in the distance. And the scuttle of a very large death stalker.

And the crow of a giant nevermore.

And the groaning of zombies.

What a day this was turning out to be.

* * *

**Maybe to clear up a bit of confusion about Jaune Arc and the "Reaper Slayer" lineage from last chapter. No, there is no special power or anything that makes one and his/her descendants stronger and more easily able to kill a Grim Reaper. More so, there are families who tend to go after Grim Reapers. Find out their weaknesses and kill them. Knowledge is the only thing being passed down through the family, not any magical or secret power (except for Schnee semblances, those darn lucky Schnees). The Arcs just happen to be a more prominent and famous one. At least to Reapers.**

**Guest - Thank you! And I hope you continue to enjoy it.**

**JackTheSpades - Not much I can answer you with, as I did indeed choose Reapers because they don't have a predefined power-set, except for the whole "Reaping" thing. Most of your thoughts will definitely be answered in the future. As for the age thing, I can definitely agree with you there. I wanted to make her old enough that she would scoff at human aging, but young enough that she isn't a master of her power/doesn't know everything about being a Reaper yet. If she were a thousand for instance, there would be way too much of a separation in terms of power and training. Even a few hundred years and just the ability to experience things around her would create a fairly large power gap which would inevitably make the story a lot more boring to read. I will say however, that she is still a very young Reaper.**

**Guest #2 - Ha, I wish I could have the courage to post whenever I finish writing. But, due to a combination of me being in school, having a full-time internship and some semblance (heh.) of a social life, you would end up with fewer chapters being posted rather than more. It's why I have a backlog of a couple chapters in case I don't write anything. But I do have a happy surprise...**

**Guest #3 - Well... okay. :)**

**You know what? See you all in two weeks! No more of this every three weeks thing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**And we are back! Now, for the stunning conclusion of this story!**

**REAPER IN RED  
**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

The six of us quickly became eight as Jaune Arc and his partner, a one Pyrrha Nikos joined our ragtag group. Of course, chasing them was a deathstalker who immediately thought that I looked much more appetizing than the two he was chasing.

Around the same time, the giant nevermore me and Weiss used to find this place decided to take a swing at me as well. And I couldn't forget about the zombies, only a dozen dozen or so finding now as the perfect time to create a horde and close in on us.

"What do we do!" Jaune shouted, gripping his sword tightly.

"Split up!" I shouted, "you guys take the deathstalker, we'll get the nevermore. Zombies are open game."

I darted off, hoping that at least someone was listening to me. Luckily, I did not need to worry long as my sister was hot on my trail. It sent a pleasantly warm feeling through me to know that my sister trusted me, even though all she knew about me was lies. Maybe one day I could tell her the truth-

I shook that dangerous though from my head and placed my attention back on the giant nevermore which was chasing after us, flapping its massive wings to surge forward. I turned back to how the others were doing.

I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Nora and Pyrrha stopping the deathstalker in its tracks, keeping it from chasing after me. Now I only had to focus on a single giant grimm hoping to kill me.

I felt myself pulled backwards as a spiked feather pierced through my red cloak, pinning me to the ground. With a cry of fright, I gazed up at the nevermore sending down another volley directly towards me.

I tried to duck out of the way. Before I could, a wall of ice appeared over me, flowing out from my partner's sword. Ice dust solidified, blocking the piercing tips of feathers just over my head.

"What now, in this brilliant plan of yours?" Weiss to the rescue as usual. She cut me free as I thanked her.

"Ruby!" Yang gripped me in a deep hug. "I thought I lost you!"

"You will… if you keep… strangling me." I gasped. She let go with a simple apology and all our attention was back on the flying grimm, circling us in the sky.

"Blake, can you get me up there?" Yang mentioned, cocking her wrist-bound weapons. Blake nodded in confirmation, tossing the end of her weapon to Yang, gripping onto the other side herself.

"Keep that thing busy you two, while me and Weiss handle the zombies."

"Got it."

"Sure thing, sis."

"It's Weiss and I." Came the replies.

Trusting my sister and partner to keep the nevermore from striking me while my back was turned, I rushed ahead in a cloud of smoky red rose petals, Weiss behind me using a glyph to keep up with me as much as she could. Holding my scythe aloft, I swung down, slicing through an undead vertically, each half collapsing. I spun my weapon into its gun form and let loose two shots, each piercing through the skull of a zombie.

Crescent Rose let out a cacophony of sound as each fired round found its way into the skull of the undead horde as they closed in on us. Weiss was throwing herself around the forest, bouncing off of her glyphs, striking and slashing at zombies with refined grace.

Diving behind a tree to keep from being overrun, I watched in amusement as the diminishing horde of the undead was torn down by Weiss's precision strikes. With a swipe of my own weapon, I tore through a handful of zombies as they encircled my partner.

"Saved your life!" I shouted, darting to take down the last of the undead.

"You did no such thing!" Came Weiss's harsh reply.

"So totally did! Come on let's help out Yang."

A shrill caw echoed through the tree line, the nevermore carrying Yang between its beak as the huntress in training fired shot after shot down the beast's gullet. "Why. Won't. You. Just. Go. Down. Already!"

She swore as the nevermore threw her off of it to land hard on the ground.

"Ugh… anyone have any more ideas?"

"I think I just might have one." I said, rubbing my chin, watching the giant grimm bird circle the sky.

"Why not let somebody else say their plans?" Weiss fumed, hands on her hips. Staring back at her, she glared at me, "I'm not saying that I have an idea. But maybe those two do."

"I'm all ears, Rubes." Yang said, lifting herself off the ground.

"Whatever you can suggest will definitely be better than Yang's 'fire down its throat' plan." Blake shrugged.

"Weiss, Yang, I need you to keep it busy. I'll… distract it and get it to follow me to the cliffside. Once we get there, keep it off of me and flying as close to the cliff as possible."

Weiss and Yang nodded.

"Blake, stay close. You're going to be doing the same thing you did to Yang."

"Yeah! Another 'fire down its throat' plan! I knew we were sisters." Yang cheered, as Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose.

With a nod from me, my partner and sister ran off. I fired down to the ground, lifting myself into the air. Spinning my weapon, I let a single shot ring out, hitting the giant nevermore's wing, getting its attention but doing little real damage.

A mighty caw sent it barreling towards me. I involuntarily "eep!"-ed as gravity pulled me down just before its talons grabbed a hold.

"Come on! We have to go quickly." Blake ran beside me, firing behind her at the quickly closing in monster.

As we reached the edge of the forest, near to the cliff, I noticed an old stone bridge. "There!" I pointed.

I put on a burst of speed, sending rose petals trailing behind me. The nevermore flew over Blake, at me. As it descended, talons open wide, ready to strike, it shrieked, feeling weight on it's back. Yang landed on the nevermore, punching down on it's wing, just as Weiss created a glyph, freezing the bird in place. It struggled from the attacks, leaving me and Blake to find the perfect distance to be thrown from.

Weiss , attention still on her glyph and the grimm, jogged next to us. There was sweat running down her forehead as she struggled to maintain the glyph against the creature's strength. "Whatever you're going to do, I suggest you do it now."

"Can you hold it in place a little longer?"

"Can I hold it in place a little longer." She admonished.

"Well can you?"

"Of course I can!"

Holding onto the end of Blake's ribbon weapon, I ran in a circle, letting the ribbon go taut and feeling myself lift up as Blake threw me up towards the nevermore. I opened my weapon to its fullest extent. Just as Weiss's glyph broke, my scythe slammed into its neck, pulling it along with me towards the cliff.

With a final punch, Yang back flipped off the nevermore giving me a wink as she hurtled to the ground and my feet landed square on the vertical cliff-face. I watched as small glyphs lined the cliff. In a silent thank you, I sped forwards, letting the glyphs hold me as I ran up the cliff. Reaching the top, I threw myself up, letting my scythe complete its arc, tearing through muscle and tendon.

The nevermore's head fell from its body, evaporating into the air, as its massive body plummeted to the ground below. My hood blew in the wind. I stared down at my partner and team. We had together taken down such a massive monster. One of the biggest creatures of grimm I had ever seen in my life. Trying to look serious; like a superhero after her big finale, I gazed off into the distance.

Nope. My serious demeanor cracked as I fell into a fit of laughter. I jumped up, shouting my joy and kicking my feet into the air. We had done it. We had done it together.

"For collecting the white rooks. Yang Xiao-Long. Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. And Weiss Schnee. Together you will form Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose!"

I cheered alongside my sister, hugging her tightly as she ruffled my hair. We did it! Not only were we in Beacon together, now we were on the same team! This was a dream come true. Well, maybe not a complete dream come true. We would have been partners as well as teammates then. But Weiss was not so terrible all the time and I liked Blake. And they all were strong enough that I did not need to fear that I would be reaping them anytime soon. So, it was good enough for me. As I looked out at the clapping crowds and then back to my cheering sister, I repeated that thought. Yes, definitely good enough for me.

We exited the stage and waited for the final group to be called. "And lastly, we have Pyrrha Nikos. Jaune Arc. Nora Valkyire and Lie Ren. Together you will form Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc!"

I cheered loud along with the rest. Even if he was an Arc, he was still friendly to me. Maybe even a friend.

"I heard that they took down the deathstalker with its own stinger. How metal is that?" Yang commented, clapping.

"So cool." I smiled happily. Today was a good day.

"Her? She's our leader?" Weiss's shrill complaints continued through Team JNPR's applause.

The day was not over yet.

The crowds began to depart the main hall, splitting off into groups of two and four. Some went towards the dormitories to find their rooms, while others ventured towards the cafeteria. Team RWBY left the hall together, but it was quickly clear that we would separate. Weiss and Blake agreed that checking out our room was a better way to spend the evening. At least there was somebody Weiss did not yell at.

My stomach had other ideas on how to spend my time, as it chose then to grumble. Yang and I waved goodbye to our partners -Blake in particular. She's just so much more friendly- and joined the mass of people heading to the cafeteria.

"So, what do you think?" Yang nudged me with a bright smile

"I like the school. It feels… fascinating. A brand-new experience."

"Can't disagree with you there. We're now officially Beacon students and we kicked ass today. I bet it just gets better from here on out. You think we'd get a chance to take down anything stronger than a grimm?"

"Grimm, ya. Giant nevermore grimm? I hope so! Maybe a Chimera. I've never fought one of those."

"Me neither. Wonder if there are any in the forest. Probably nothing bigger than that. Just low tier Salemites. And the occasional giant grimm. Could you imagine sending initiates into a Reaper filled forest?" Yang joked. I tried to laugh along with her.

"Ya. Reaper filled," I muttered.

I let Yang take control of the conversation. It diverged from initiation to back home and Tai -dad- and what he was doing then. Then the conversation turned back to classes and finally to teammates.

"I like mine. Blake's so mysterious. Cute too, but don't tell her I told you that. I spoke with her a bit before you and the ice queen landed. Heh, still can't believe my baby sister flew in on the nevermore she later decapitated. How do you like the ice queen? Become best friends yet?"

I shook my head, downtrodden. "No, I don't think she likes me much. Even less now that I became leader. Why did I become leader? I just wanted to be a normal teammate. Normal knees too."

"You are a teammate, Rubes! Now you're like teammate plus! Now you get to boss people around as well. Maybe even boss ice queen around some more. Wouldn't that be entertaining."

There was a ding from our scrolls. Lifting mine up, I walked through the cafeteria door that Yang held open. "Yang, it looks like we got our class schedules. Most classes are full teams. Looks like… I have three classes that I'm by myself? Are you taking these?"

Yang glanced at my scroll. "Team Leadership? Combat History 101? Basic Leadership Principles? Nu-uh. Looks like those are some extra classes just for you team leaders."

"More class?!" I asked excitedly.

"Ya, I'm sorry for that Rubes," Yang replied, taking my genuine excitement as false. "I'd hate to have extra class too. Don't worry, I bet we'll be able to help you. My wonderful prodigy baby sister-leader! Let's get some supper."

* * *

**Ha, just kidding. There is so much more coming. And we finally broke the 10,000 words mark. That's so awesome.**

**lasereye27 - Summer definitely died much later.**

**JackTheSpades - To your first point first: Yes, you will see exactly how Reapers are viewed in the world. It was (so far) my favourite chapter to write. As for your second point, I definitely understand what you're saying. Ruby's age was never a really important thing when I got started, so I didn't really take the time to plan that part out. Which makes it even sillier of me, when I read back through my notes and realized I already created a basic aging system for Reapers. So *reading off my notes here* 'Grim Reapers age parabolically in a way. Their aging slows down exponentially until they are at the height of their power, stay that way for a few thousand years, then age exponentially faster.' Hmm, that seems like important information the writer should remember. (All this stuff would be revealed eventually in story, but it's not really that important to anything plot related, so I feel fine sharing it here) So, the age may definitely be something I will revise in the future, especially if it is confusing my dear readers. And yes, you are definitely correct in everything you said.**

**Oh, and another thing! I love getting criticism and critiques of my work, be it constructive or otherwise. So really, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think! *gives you a cookie before Ruby notices***

**See you all again in two weeks.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoa boy that was a close one. Just tip-toed passed my 2k word minimum there. But I still made it!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Sleep did not come to me that night. Not for my lack of trying, however. I lay awake in the top bunk of a two-floor bed which my team and I constructed that evening, thinking about what was ahead of me. Staring at the ceiling so close to me, all that ran through my mind was what I had gotten myself into. In a short span of time -even by human standards- I had faked my way into a family of huntsmen, gained entry to a school which trained people to exterminate me and my kind among other Salemites, and became leader of a team. A team which would live together, eat together, sleep together and train together. For four full years.

I ran fingers through my hair; anything to calm down the sense of dread building within me. I had no clue how to lead a team, much less even act fully human. How much did humans eat? Did they go to the bathroom multiple times a day? And what did they even do in the bathroom, besides brushing their teeth? What was the water-bowl for? Yang's pet -Zwei, I think- used it as a drinking bowl. Was that it? I grumbled. "This is why mom said not to get too close to people."

Too many questions about the obvious. Why couldn't Reapers have figured out how to gain people's trust by now? Besides the magic-y way of course. We lived long enough that I assumed we had at least a little bit of information on the subject. But no. Mom had said Reapers and humans had to stay separated. It was one of the cardinal rules of Reaperdom. Reaperdom? Reaper-ship? Reaper-kin? There was no title for us, and I had too many thoughts buzzing through my head to be distracted by something so meaningless as what to call the collective of all Grim Reapers.

Another cardinal rule was that Reapers had to stay away from their own kind, but that did not seem to apply to offspring until they reached maturity and took over a territory. But here I was. At least another couple hundred years from maturity and already on my own. Possibly with my own territory. I didn't know. How does one go about claiming territory? This would have been important information for somebody to have told me! I rolled over in bed, laying on my side and looking across the room to my sister.

Yang looked to be resting easily, blankets strewn about her bed and hair a complete mess as her lion-like snore echoed through the room. She did not have any of these problems. She had it easy. A human with a living parent and now doing what she wanted to do with her life and with plenty of people to teach her everything she needed to know about her job. It wasn't like I could just find another Reaper and ask all my questions to. That's what a mother was for.

I shuddered at the memory which interrupted my thoughts. Reapers were not a friendly bunch to their own kind. I would never step foot in Atlas again after that night. I still had the scars on my hip to commemorate that experience.

I turned over again, staring back at the emptiness of the ceiling. Somehow, I had to act as a human. I had to lead this team and I had to keep from revealing myself as a Reaper. Okay, I could do this. There wasn't anything too hard about it. Maybe.

Shockingly, I was… excited about the path which lay in front of me. It was a spur of the moment decision to do this, but it seemed to be working well so far. I was excited to play the human. To be around people and not be alone again. But I needed a plan.

Under my pillow was my notebook. Yang called it my diary, but I still could not for the life of me figure out the difference. Flipping to an empty page, I wrote my steps as they came to me.

Step 1, Figure out how to claim territory. It would keep other Reapers from stumbling into me or taking this territory for themselves and attacking me to keep their claim on it. Also, once the adrenaline of the ancient vampire's death wears off, it would give me plenty of souls with which to keep up the charade. Don't want to be discovered as a Reaper while surrounded by hunters.

Step 2, Learn how to be human. People-watching was a thing humans did, right? There were also movies and tv-shows and video games which could help. Mom said humans were excitable creatures, so maybe acting excited about everything was a good idea. Yang seemed to always be cheerful. But Weiss was always angry and Blake was quiet. This was too confusing. Why couldn't everyone just make things easier for me!

Step 2.5, learn what people did in their bathrooms.

Were three steps -two and a half- enough? Probably not, but it was enough for then. As I watched the sun peak up over the horizon through the view from my window, I felt like everything was going well. My heart beat rapidly in my chest as the new day approached. I was going to be human! I was going to learn about the huntsmen and how they saw the world. Maybe, just maybe what I would learn would help me and my kind connect with humans. Stop them from killing us off.

Yes, that was the goal. Can't do anything without a goal! Learn about humans and convince them to not kill Reapers anymore. I nodded to myself and shut my eyes.

Only to be woken up by Weiss's stupid alarm clock. Looking back towards the sun, it seemed to have not risen all that much since I last gazed at it. That meant little sleep. Rubbing my eyes and stretching my legs, I guessed that the day was going to be a sleepless one. No point in wasting it.

I hopped out of bed and brushed my teeth for a few minutes. That was as long as Yang did when we brushed our teeth together before she kicked me out for her shower. I changed into a fresh pair of clothes, tied my hood around my neck and brushed my short hair of any knots. Of all the things I had learned about humans so far, hair brushes were quickly becoming my favourite. How did I live before with so many knots in my hair and the relaxing feeling of a comb running through my short locks? No wonder Yang liked her hair so long. This felt amazing.

But my hair was smooth soon enough and my teammates were still asleep. Now, what would be the best way to wake everyone up? I looked to my bag of things. A whistle could work. Sucking in a big breath, I let loose a high-pitched cacophony of noise. Yang woke with a shout, rolling out of bed and onto the floor with a thump which shook the room. Weiss as well was quite perturbed, jolting upright with wide eyes and an angry glare which could give Salem herself a run for her money.

"Wakey wakey Team RWBY!" I shouted between whistle blows. "Time to get up for a new day!"

I think excited was definitely the way to go. Excited human Ruby at your service!

"Rubes, please shut up." Yang mumbled holding back a deep yawn. "Couldn't you have just let us sleep a bit longer. Or woken us up without your whistle?"

"I had my alarm already set to the proper time, you horrid buffoon!" Weiss sniped.

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Well, you didn't get up! It rang like thirty minutes ago!"

"Ugh…" Weiss held the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Wait, did you say thirty minutes?"

I nodded quickly. "Yup!"

"We're going to be late for class!" Weiss shouted, flinging her blanket off of her and rushing into the washroom and slamming the door behind her. I heard the shower head turn on, letting loose a stream of water.

A pleasant purring sound erupted from the other side of the room as the raven-haired girl -Blake. There had to be a better way of remembering names. I just had it an hour ago! – curved her spine, letting any tightness loosen with the stretch. At least she was doing well with all the extra noise.

"Class is starting soon!" Came Weiss's voice from behind the bathroom door. "We should be waking up much earlier than we did today." The door opened wide to a fully clothed Weiss and a light trickle of steam. Weiss's pristine combed, dried and styled hair was held together in an off-centered ponytail. "From this point onward, I will be setting two alarms as well as increasing the volume so there is no risk of sleeping through them. It is best to be early than on time and on time than late."

"Then quit hogging the bathroom and let me get ready," Yang said barreling though the Schnee heiress and slamming the door behind her.

"I'll wake you guys up again!" I shouted with a raised hand.

"As long as you don't use a whistle again. Or create any infernal racket," Weiss added with an intense glare at me, causing me to blush.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Weiss could only huff in reply.

It was only a short while longer before the rest of the team was finished their morning routines. Unfortunately, it had become quite obvious that my own sister Yang would be a continual problem in creating a 'bathroom-schedule' thanks to her fascination with forty-five-minute-long showers and a plethora of hair-care products. What resulted was a mad dash out of the room alongside our new acquaintances in Team JNPR. It was only through a stroke of luck that my partner Weiss decided that memorizing the map of Beacon Academy was a great way to spend her night.

"Ah Team RWBY! JNPR! Glad of you to join us this morning. Please take your seats." An overly robust man with a thick, heavy mustache cheered. His eyes looked permanently closed and due to the mustache, he looked to be continuously smiling. Whether there was indeed a smile under the tuft of hair was impossible to discover. He did have friendly happy-lines around his eyes though, so that was a good sign at least.

The four of us chose from the few remaining seats available to us. Yang grumbled about sitting in the front of the class, but I couldn't figure out what was different about these spots than those just behind us. Blake pulled out a textbook and another book in front of it and got to reading. Yang let out a yawn, barely covering her mouth with her palm while leaning haphazardly on the desk. I peered at my partner beside me. She was excited for class.

I shuffled back in my seat, sitting straighter and allowing a smile to reach my lips. Okay, I could not hide my anxiousness. It would be my first ever class! Told by an expert huntsman about all the creatures which huntsman hunt. I could not wait for the lessons on Reapers. There was so much I still wanted to know about myself! Would it have looked weird if I did some research on my own, or would it make it more obvious as to what I was?

I shook the thought from my mind as the man took center-stage and cleared his throat, bringing the class to silence. I accidentally let out a squeal of exhilaration, holding in my giggle as best as I could. This was just going to be so interesting!

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. As many names as there are kinds. Some possess intelligence akin to man. Others the strength of a hundred of us puny mortals. Some can hide in plain sight, snatching children from their beds without notice. Some are so greatly feared by human and huntsman alike, only the bravest -dare I say most foolish- will even dare catch of glimpse of these monsters. What I choose to call them? Prey."

* * *

**I wonder who our first professor of the day is? Any guesses? Mine is Professor Goodwitch. She definitely has the most amazing mustache of the lot of them. **

**Firewyrm2 - It is day 7 since Ruby discovered a missing cookie from her cookie jar. I have been left with only freeze-dried strawberries and an unopened bag of Doritos. I hope that when I am discovered, the Doritos can calm her enough for me to make my escape. If not, please tell my family I love them. Oh no! Ruby has found my hiding spot! *hrrk!* No Ruby! You cannot also have my freeze-dried strawberries! *ahk!* Why Ruby!**

**Pleaseworkforonce – Thank you very much for the review. It's important to know what people like about your writing and what made them want to start or continue reading. But it's also equally important to know what might make readers lose interest or jump ship entirely. As of now, we are just finished with initiation and just getting to the first class of the semester. There will definitely be divergence from canon, and I do have some plans for how it might diverge more in the future, but beginnings are pretty standard. Yes, some chapters in the future will have parts of canon you have come to expect, but I do not plan on having everything play out the same way. Not at all. As for your alternative advice, that is something I will definitely try harder to add to this story. Whole reason I'm doing this is to become a better writer, so when great advice is given? Hell ya am I going to pay attention to it. And lastly the whiterose question. As of now, I have absolutely no plans to write whiterose into this story. Nor Lancaster or Ladybug or really any other ship. That may change as the story progresses, but know that I am not planning any ship for this story. Also, I don't think that Weiss fits into the common Reaper dating rule: "half your age + 70". :)**

**Firewyrm2 #2 - I'd like to thank you for enjoying the story enough to wish for a faster update schedule. But technically, you already got that, since this story used to be posted once every three weeks. :P As an avid fanfic reader myself, I also understand the hassle of keeping track of plenty of stories as well as the annoyance of longer update times. But, you do come to realize that writing consistently is hard. I'm currently in university (final year baby!) as well as in an internship which sucks up 90% of my awake time. It's why I have a backlog of already completed chapters, in case I don't write that week. And of course, every week I don't post in this story, I'm posting in Rhodopis in Remnant.**

**JackTheSpades - Glad you liked the initiation. Writing combat is quite tricky! I really need to practice that. Of course, that just means I need more reasons to create fight scenes. Unusual and 0neWhoWanders go hand in hand. I don't really like the whole 'immortal character' thing. Things that have different lifespans than humans? Yes, I'm all for that, but there should only be one thing that doesn't die from age. And that would be things that are already dead. And to your final major point... Spoilers. ;)**

**Now, to ask the real questions. How the hell did Ruby get a whistle?**

**Answer: it's one of life's greatest mysteries. Like what the tooth fairy does with all those teeth or where Weiss hides her secret cookie stash when Ruby runs out.**

**Anywho, until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Okay, maybe this whole 'school' thing wasn't as exciting as I had hoped it would be. At least, judging by the bored expressions of my classmates, this sort of learning was not the best way to keep the engagement of teenagers. Especially those who were as physically fit and active as hunters. Even Weiss seemed to be losing it, rubbing her temple with one hand and tapping her pencil on her near empty notebook with the other. If I turned around fully in my seat, I could notice the slumbering students, drooling on their arms, desks and classwork.

I was having a blast. Who knew that Professor Peter Port was such a legendary fighter! Just him and a box of paperclips against a herd of chimera. After the embarrassment of asking him what a paperclip was -little metal files bent to hold sheets of paper together- and discovering that none of the class was listening, nor seemed to care about my question, I listened with rapt attention.

There were even little bits of wisdom in his story. Some of which I knew, others I did not. I knew Chimeras, especially of the half-wolf variety enjoyed being rubbed behind the ears. I remember for my fifty-sixth birthday mom and me went to the northern outskirts of Vale and played with a herd of them. I played with the herdlings while mom led the pack away from the city. If I scratched behind their ears in just the right place, they would growl and breath out flames through their nostrils. Afterwards, they would get very sleepy and cuddle up onto my lap. That was an incredible day.

Professor Port had discovered a similar quirk with the elder chimera. Using the filled box, jamming it into the alpha chimera's ear had it breathing out a heavy plume of flame and smoke. The flames would go further than normal, but would leave the creatures panting for breath and exhausted. It seemed a little rude to me to jam something into the animal's ear, but hunters were always a peculiar lot.

"And then I cut off their heads one by one with my trustee battle axe!" Professor Port finished with gusto. "Any questions?"

I looked around the classroom then raised my hand.

"Ah yes! Miss Rose, the most attentive student I had in all my years. What more of my fortuitous tale do you wish me to reveal?"

"Why not just use your axe to fight the chimera off?"

"That would be most unsportsmanlike miss Rose!" The man guffawed while rubbing his belly. "Such a creature as impressive as a chimera deserves to be defeated in the most exciting and impressive of manners. Why waste my battle axe on such a herd of beasts? Speaking of beasts, I brought a special gift for one talented student today. Do I have any volunteers?"

A few people raised their hands, Weiss among them. The professor looked around the room, finger stroking his chin as if he were deep in thought. "Let's have you my dear."

"Yuhs," Yang pumped her fist in triumph as she leaped from her seat. Weiss crossed her arms and grumbled.

Yang was chosen! I wondered what she was going to be doing but judging from the big crate which the professor wheeled in, it would involve fighting whatever was inside. "Go Team RWBY!" I cheered, waving my hands in the air.

"Thanks sis. Not that I'll need it of course." She said, kissing her fists. "No love from the ice queen? Even kitty-cat has some spirit."

Weiss harrumphed, refusing to glance at her while Blake waved a mini Team RWBY flag. From where she got it, I would never know.

"Let us see if you have the talent, nay, the gumption to defeat this Grimm in front of a class of your peers!"

"Will do teach!" Yang laughed, jumping down to the small floorspace in front of the levels of desks and chairs. Stepping back into a fighting stance, she brushed a tuft of hair from her shoulder.

With a nod of confirmation, Professor Port opened up the cage. A boarbatusk came out spinning, rolling head over tail, ripping up the floorboards with its powerful tusks and claws.

"Whoa!" Yang belched, hopping out of the way as the Grimm came flying passed her.

"Go for the belly!" I shouted between cheers.

"Let the girl fight for herself," I heard from my left side, followed by a smack on my shoulder from a dainty hand. "Nobody needs your childish commentary!"

"Thanks Rubes!" Yang winked, giving me a thumbs up.

The boarbatusk circled around for another pass, but this time, Yang was ready. A quick sidestep and a single punch sent the Grimm sprawling across the room, slamming forcefully into the blackboard. As it hit the ground, it began its post-death journey to the after-realms, flaking off into shadows and disappearing into the very air.

"What else you got! Ember Fistica and Knuckles Celica are ready for more action!" Yang said, lifting up her left and right fists respectively.

"Jolly good work! And without any weapons. Brilliant! Most brilliant!" Professor Port shouted ecstatically. "That was an amazing show of combat as befitting true warrior. I would never use my battle-axe on such a feeble opponent as well! Of course, I would lock this type of Grimm in a classic Peter Port Choke Hold. Using my superior strength and manliness, it would be easy for me to take it to the ground and really show the creature who's boss! That reminds me of the time I was sailing to Mistral and we were set upon by a massive -and quite charming if I do say so myself- Siren who was just begging to be given the old one-two by Peter here-"

"Then what would you use your axe on?" I asked, not bothering to raise my hand. The class was mostly inattentive anyways after that short bout.

"Why, the Higher Order Creatures my dear!" Professor Port bellowed. He paused for a second, his eyebrows raising, yet his eyes continuing to be hidden under his eyelids. "Ah! A perfect jumping off point before class ends. Thank you my dear. Can anybody tell me what are the Higher Order creatures?"

Finally, more of the class seemed engaged. Weiss's hand sprung up faster than I thought possible for a human to move. The professor pointed at her and she stood in her seat.

"Higher Order creatures, or Higher Order Salemites as they are often called, are the most intelligent of the Salemite species on Remnant. While there are other Salemites which could be stronger, such as alpha Grimm or half-lion chimera, Higher Order Salemites are known for possessing an intelligence or mode of thought akin to that of humans. Though it is impossible to confirm if these creatures act on an instinct which dwarfs that of a person, in order to appear intelligent, or if they do actually possess conscious reasoning. My opinion places these beasts in the former category."

"Textbook answer, miss Schnee. Textbook answer. Most impressive indeed. I see we have a true huntress in our midst! The creatures are a huntsman's bread and butter. We are often called to action to take out minor pests like the Grimm; there are a hundred times more Grimm than other Salemites. For instance, once I was minding my own business on an excursion from the deserts of Vacuo-"

"Professor?" Weiss interrupted, shaking the professor from a new story.

"Ah, right my dear. The Higher Order creatures are why the four kingdoms train hunters, instead of just regular militaries. A gun and a well-placed round can kill a zombie or a chimera or Grimm," the professor held up his hands as if carrying an invisible rifle, firing silently towards his audience. "But a creature of the Higher Order. Now those require the skill, quick-thinking and natural grace of a huntsman. Or huntress of course."

"Professor?" A student in the back of the class raised his hand. I had yet to meet him, but his tall Mohawk definitely made him stand out from the rest. "What are Higher Order creatures?"

Professor Port clapped his hands together. "There are four of these Salemites! Someone shout out a name!"

"Witches!" Said Jaune, rising from his seat to spout out the name.

"One of the strongest of the Higher Order! Only the bravest go after witches. Monsters which look like the Grimm in colouration but have the shape of a human or faunus. One of the few Salemites capable of speech. I have only managed to slay a half-dozen in my lifetime. Another!"

"Necromancers!" Came another name. By now, the class was actually engaged with the surly professor, as he hopped around the room with a newfound vigor.

"Creatures capable of raising the dead. They look quite like the zombies they create and are often hidden among their own hordes. Capable of disconnecting themselves from their zombies, so that if they die, their hordes live on. How they do that is still unknown. I was a talented Necromancer-slayer back in my glory days. I will have many a story for you about them over the course of this year!"

That brought up a groan from the crowd, only to be diminished when he shouted for another one.

"Vampires!"

"No! Well, maybe." The professor began. "Vampires are often called the fifth of the Higher Order. They are strong and somewhat smart, but they are on the border of the definition of Higher Order as miss Schnee described. Do they have intelligence? Maybe. But are they Salemites? Also maybe. Vampires are created by draining the lifeblood, the very soul out of a man and replacing the man's aura with their own. Sometimes described as Higher Order, but not one of the core four."

"Skin-Crawlers?"

"Very good, good sir. Horrid creatures which suck out the innards of a person and take control of their body. A most unpleasant experience to bear witness to. I will most likely spare you the details of that story for your second year. Can anybody tell me the final Higher Order Salemite? You are all still missing the most dangerous creature to ever exist. These are smart and nearly impossible to kill. Only the very best of huntsmen would even dare try to take one of these creatures on. Even I would only face off against such a beast with a team of expert huntsmen and huntresses at my back. Anyone? No?"

The professor looked around the room for any venturous student. All the while, I ducked further and further into my chair, hoping to remain unnoticed as red touched my cheeks.

"The Grim Reaper." The professor finally remarked. His voice was now shallow, much quieter than his exuberance from only a moment ago. His hands dropped, no longer being waved through the air to rile up his students. He was hunched over, a much more solemn man. He looked older. More tired.

"The Grim Reaper are the antithesis of life itself. Where they move, only death remains. There is a reason nobody knows how old a human or faunus can get before we die of natural causes like animals do in nature. There has yet to be a death recorded without a Grim Reaper to have thought to be involved. Either by eyewitness accounts, or by educated guesses based off decades of extrapolated data. Grim Reapers are why we hunters were first created.

"There is not a student among us who has not heard of the Reaper and its affinity for death. Each carry a long blade; a scythe, stronger than any material or dust we know to exist, capable of pulling a person's soul from their bodies. As their name suggests, literally reaping souls. To do what with? It is unknown. Some suggest they feed on them. Others that they let them drift off into the unknown next plane of existence. Some have even suggested that Reapers are the tools of Death; predators used to keep humanity from overextending. Like coyotes, whom keep the populations of hares and woodland creatures from overpopulating.

"Know this. It is not cowardice to run from a Grim Reaper. Huntsmen and huntresses stronger than you and in teams larger than you have gone up against these monsters and lost. Only a select few from around the entirety of Remnant are sanctioned to go up against Reapers and exterminate them. Even when you graduate from Beacon. You may be the strongest from among your peers. The smartest, dare I say even the bravest of the lot. You will not be allowed to try your hands at fighting a Grim Reaper without a team of your equals and a decade's worth of experience on your belt. I have never gone up against a Reaper. Even one as brave and talented as I, the mighty Peter Port! I would rather flee than risk my life trying to take down this beast. Grim Reapers are not to be taken lightly. You will study them in depth in your later years, but pray you do not see one during your youth."

With those final words sending a shudder of fear through the class, the bell rang. Students stood up and grabbed their belongings, placing books and pencils into their bags and slinging backpacks over their shoulders. They talked pleasantly with their friends and teammates, many of them glad that the professor did not assign homework that first day.

"Hey Rubes, you alright?" Yang said, shouldering her bag and cracking her neck.

I could only nod. My fingers were wrapped around the bottom of my seat with an iron-grip. My face, like my knuckles, ghostly pale.

This was what hunters thought of me. This was what I was to them. The antithesis of life. The cause of all deaths ever in history. The creature among all the countless monsters which roam this world to be feared above all else. A shiver ran down my spine.

What did I get myself into?

* * *

**So, that happened. This was definitely my favourite chapter to write so far. Let me know if you want to see more class chapters like this. They will be showing up from time to time interspersed with the usual story. And thank you all! This story has just reached 100 Followers. I am so thankful and my mind had been completely blown. As a little surprise and gift to everyone for helping me reach this milestone, I have a little surprise for you. See you all Thursday! ;)**

**IanAlphaAxel - Glad you enjoyed it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks again for the 100 Followers!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

I was the last to leave that last class in the afternoon, just as I was the last to leave each class prior. I spent the rest of the day silent like Death itself, refusing to even answer questions directed right at me. Much to Weiss's chagrin and declining temperament. I knew I was behaving abnormally. I should have just kept on being cheerful and inquisitive and however else I was acting before Professor Port's lesson on Higher Order Salemites. That was what a normal person would do. But no matter how many times I told myself to do it, I couldn't. Just a scared little girl.

I wanted my mother back. I chided myself. A hundred and fifteen years old. Just a few dozen decades away from adulthood and still crying for mommy. How ashamed she would be of me. Finally stepping out into the open-air surrounding Beacon Academy, I watched as first year teams separated into groups of friends. Blake and Yang were heading in one direction, while Weiss was stomping off in another. All of them had been waiting for me to emerge from the lecture hall before departing.

Not wanting to be with anyone, I paced along the side of the building, running a finger through the grooves in the stone face. It was sunny outside. A near perfect heat which descended on everyone and remained even when blocked by the shadows of the many buildings and towers which dotted the campus. It was nice to feel heat again. In the back of my mind, I knew the feeling wouldn't last forever. It never did. Temperature would be the first sense to fade when my time ran out.

I ran a finger over my arm, feeling the heat absorbed by and radiating off my skin. It was a pleasantly human feeling. One that did not diminish much as I moved into the shadows. I breathed out a shaky breath and lowered myself to the floor, leaning back against the uneven stone slabs of the classroom.

Too many thoughts buzzed around my brain. To the humans on the one side, I was the greatest monster humanity had ever faced. To the Salemites on the other, according to mom, I was the great evil. The creatures whom renounced the Queen Mother to support the living. To my own kind, I was most likely an outcast. Well, more of an outcast than all Reapers were. Trying to not only hide among the mortals, but live among them. To be them.

"Ugh, this is so much harder than I thought it was going to be." My head fell into my hands, red hood covering my face.

"I would very much hope so." I nearly jumped in place. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden intrusion. Looking up, I saw the smiling face of the platinum blonde-grey haired, green spectacle wearing headmaster.

"Oh, sorry for getting in your way headmaster." I said pulling my knees closer to my chest and trying to shrink down as much as possible.

Instead of walking by, the headmaster leaned against the wall himself, allowing his cane to rest freely on his left side. He stood there quietly, watching as students walked by the corridor between buildings, none paying attention to us and all caught up in their own little worlds and problems. Even I could see the symbolism of hiding away in the dark while they walked freely in the light. Professor Ozpin did too, judging by the pleasant little smile he gave me as he glanced my way.

"It seems as though your first day at my school has not lived up to the expectations you were hoping for. Am I correct in this assumption?"

I nodded.

I knew it wasn't all bad. I had a team and I already fought monsters and stuff. I was acting more human than I had ever done before. I was actually learning things about them I never could have. And yet… and yet everything was different now. I had maybe a few weeks before the feeling would return and I would have to claim territory and reap. It wasn't enough time. And if I was caught. I was in a school surrounded by students and teachers, trained and training to kill beings like me.

Had this day lived up to my expectations? Honestly, I did not know. I was no longer sure if I even had real expectations for the day. My head fell further between my knees. I had barely planned for this. My only real goal was not to get caught, so in that regard, the day was a success. Only _I_ was making it weird. But what did I truly hope to get out of Beacon? I had no hope of becoming a huntress. Any friends I made would be dead in a little while. Why was I there?

"I don't know if I'm supposed to be here. I think you made a mistake accepting me," I finally said, in a voice much quieter than I hoped for.

Professor Ozpin chuckled. "My dear miss Ruby Rose. I have made many mistakes over the course of my lifetime. Many more than any man, woman and child on this planet. But right now, I would not consider your attendance at Beacon Academy, nor your appointment to leader as one of them. Do you?"

"Maybe, I don't know," I shrugged halfheartedly after a moment's pause. "I'm only here because Professor Goodwitch caught me stopping a robbery."

"Yes," the headmaster agreed. "it truly was remarkable that the good professor was able to step in and recover the situation. To have one who looks as young as yourself face off against one as dangerous as him could have ended in true horrific disaster. A death even."

"I wouldn't kill him," I shook my head.

"I was referring to him killing you."

"Oh. Right."

"But you did reap the rewards of such a tussle, did you not?" Ozpin continued, allowing the slip to slide. "Fighting brilliantly with a unique style and grace that matched in skill to those entering; maybe even graduating, Beacon Academy. Without fear nor faintness from the strenuous bout. It was if the fates aligned such an occurrence to give you the perfect opportunity to allow the deputy headmistress to document your talents."

I finally looked up at him and his kind eyes.

"This world is filled with hundreds, if not thousands of mysterious forces which only a few are fully privy to. Fate is but one of such powers. But like many others who reach my age, I have come to the understanding that fate is what we make of it. Let this first day not be the basis for which you hold your time here, however long or short you choose it to be. Allow yourself time to live. To grow into the being you hope to one day become.

"Take care miss Rose. Please tell your father Taiyang Xiao-Long I say hello and that I am glad he had found another source of happiness in a second daughter."

He turned to leave, placing extra weight on his cane. After a few steps, his body only partially bathing in sunlight, he looked back at me with a knowing smile. "And please take care yourself miss Rose. Yours is a responsibility and a test not many choose to undertake. I am always here to answer the questions you have not yet considered asking. Oh, and enjoy leadership as well. I have a feeling it will suit you."

On that final ominous note, the headmaster rounded the corner and disappeared from view.

Ozpin was a strange man. There could be no doubting his intellect, but I felt like there was something otherworldly about him. He was too sure about himself making more mistakes than any living person. And there was something else…

I shook the thought from my head. No, it couldn't be. But his words did raise my spirits. Feeling a new strength, I got up from my hiding spot. Even if he did not realize the meaning in his words, I did. There was no point in wasting time. If I wanted to live with humans; to truly be among them, I would need to learn. To study harder than I ever had before, for anything else.

Beacon was an opportunity to be somebody new. I smiled, a skip emerging in my step. My little bounces flicked my bright red hood from my head and allowed my short hair to flop around freely, tickling my ears as I moved along. No point in fearing the inevitable, but best to make use of the time I had. As long or short as that might be.

The library was held in its own facility, about two buildings down from Beacon Tower and the main auditorium where I had spent my first night before initiation. Shorter than Beacon tower and narrower than the auditorium, it looked much smaller than the third largest building on campus that it actually was. What it lacked in height and width, it made up in length, stretching backwards much further than I could see from my place at the front entrance. It was made from the same thick grey stone blocks that most of the buildings on campus were, but was carved to allow the stone segments to fit cleanly together without the need for cement. This building would last much longer than the others on campus. It no doubt made it one of the older buildings as well.

The inside however was a truly different story, as overhead lights illuminated every corner of the immense space, leaving the tall windows useless in providing light to readers. Rows and rows of shelves filled with hundreds of books filled the majority of the space, with enough room on the sides for couches, tables, chairs and other such lounging and study areas for those who preferred to spend their time in the library rather than their rooms. Closed and locked study rooms also held some space along the back wall, all with carefully printed signs telling students to ask the front desk for study room keys and to book times when available.

The front desk, as the name suggests, was at the front of the room, with a big sign overhead reading 'FRONT DESK'. It made my first question to the old lady sitting behind the desk quite useless.

"Are you the front desk lady?"

Her response was to point to the sign hanging above her.

"Oh, right," I muttered shyly. "Do you know where I can find books on people?"

"Any specific subject? A specific person, or people as a whole? Including or excluding faunus? Historical texts or modern ones? Fiction or nonfiction-"

My head swirled with the onslaught of questions, asked at a pace which put my own quick-fire ramblings to shame.

"About how people act." I finally got out between her breaths.

"Psychology and sociology. Books are in the back with a sign for S.A.P. Can't miss it. Anything else?"

"On Grimm Reapers?"

"Aren't you a bit young to be digging into Reapers?" She glared at me behind thin spectacles, seeming to raise over me with her question.

"Eep!" I did not say. "I-I'm curious?"

The old lady adjusted her glasses and sat back down in her seat, clicking a few keys on her computer and glancing at her monitor. "General information on Reapers is in the Higher Order Salemite section, about four rows down that way. Specific information is in the restricted collection behind that locked door over there. I have the key, but you need special permission from a teacher to gain access."

"Oh." General information would be well and good, but what I wanted to know would most likely be in the restricted collection. That would be future Ruby's problem. General information would be a good enough starting point as any. Thanking the lady, I first grabbed a book on Reapers titled 'Death, Reapers and Grimm: A Beginners Guide to the Unknowable'. The Unknowable. Dang that was so cool. Ruby Rose the Unknowable Reaper! I liked the sound of that.

Keeping myself on task, I shook my head and gave my cheeks a light slap or two, continuing on to grab a couple books on human psychology and sociology. And a dictionary to find out what psychology and sociology were. With a stack of books nearly blocking my face, I staggered through the rows back to the front desk to check them all out, only stopping at a title which caught my interest.

'How to Make Friends and Get People to Like You'

With careful balance, I moved all my books to one arm and grabbed that final books, tossing on top of the pile and trying not to jostle anything too much to keep from tipping over.

Checking out the books were a short process, just a click or two from the front desk lady and then handing her my scroll to link the books to my account. With a cheery thank you to both the front desk lady and the nice rabbit eared faunus who held the exit door open for me, I was on my way back to my dorm room, only tripping once or twice on the uneven cobblestone pathway.

I dumped all my books down on my bed, then climbed up myself, enjoying the swinging feeling as the bed rocked side to side with my movements. So many different ways to start. I looked between the covers, choosing to start with one on basic psychology. Opening it up on my pillow; an empty notebook and pencil beside me, I proceeded to read.

People were a strange and unknowable -heh, like me! – force of nature in their own right. Each individual was even more so. There was so much to learn about the individual and human society at large, that people created entire fields of study about the concepts. While some studied the minds of Salemites and other creatures of Grimm in order to help fend off civilization's mortal enemies, others studied their own minds to help fend off against civilization's immortal enemies. Their very minds broke down their own species into groups with which to sort the 'us' from the 'them'. What resulted was the formation of family groups, then tribes, then villages. Eventually, the kingdoms which now dominated Remnant itself.

It was interesting stuff. Reapers were similar in a way. We too separated the 'us' from the 'them'. More so, the 'me' from the 'everybody else'. Reapers did not like to be near each other and when they did, it was only for a short amount of time. We were solitary creatures, choosing to live away from our own kind once we reached adulthood. Claiming a territory was a means of warning other Reapers away from us. Sort of similar to the great walls which surrounded each of the kingdoms, in a way.

Useful information to know and a great lesson in spot the similarities and differences between Reapers and humans, but a little too abstract for what I wanted. That just left a single book. 'How to Make Friends and Get People to Like You'.

I yawned. "Welp, no time to waste," I whispered, flipping to the first page and starting my reading.

I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder. Jumping up, I almost screeched in surprise at seeing my partner standing at eye level to me.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't even realize I fell asleep. I must have been more tired than I thought," I tried to laugh, but the sound died in my throat.

"That's alright," Weiss replied magnanimously. "And I'm sorry to wake you. I- I wanted to apologize for today."

Weiss looked down as she continued speaking, her words coming out much slower and without the usual bite nor confidence they usually held. "In class this morning you were just trying to help your sister in her fight and I just had to snap at you. A-and hit you. I was just so annoyed that you were intruding into someone else's situations and I never thought I would act so much like my fath-…"

She sighed. "The point is, after that, you were just so upset and I felt responsible for it."

"Huh?" I finally let out.

"I'm trying to apologize you dolt. I had a talk with Professor Port this afternoon and he really helped me understand myself and how our experiences deferred. From the very beginning I treated you more like a child than student here. I just wanted to say that from now on, I'm going to be the very best team member and partner you could ever hope for."

"Thanks Weiss, I'd really love to be best friends with you too."

"Let's just start as… friends for now. How do you take your coffee?"

"What?"

"I'm trying to be considerate here. How do you take your coffee?"

"What's coffee?"

"What's coff-! You know what? I'll just bring it to you how I like it and you can add sugar and cream yourself."

Weiss walked away from me, grabbing a clean mug from her dresser, filling it with a hot brown liquid. I had no clue what that was about, but as I opened up my fifth packet of sugar, it looked like my first day at Beacon was ending on a sweet note.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the surprise! I never thought I would reach this milestone. I will see you all again at the usual time in two weeks!**

**firewyrm2 - I'm so sorry I forgot to respond to you last update! But, I think you need to introduce me to monster hunter first. I... honestly have no clue if that is a show, an anime or a board game. But, it has the words monster and hunter in it, so we both know Ruby already loves it.**

**JackTheSpades - Always got to show death a nice and healthy dose of fear! No wait, that's Grimm. Gotta show Grimm a nice dose of fear. Gotta show Reapers your acceptance, cuz there is no fighting death. Anyways, I like to think that huntsmen just aren't very good at statistics.**

**Lasereyes27 - Spoilers. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

I sat quietly, with my big sister Yang on one side and maybe-friend partner Weiss on the other. As per Weiss's 'suggestion' -demand- we were in the front row, center, with our friends in Team JNPR sitting right behind us. I was nearly bursting out of my seat when Professor Goodwitch strolled into the room, her riding crop held at her shoulder and a serious no-nonsense frown on her lips.

"This is Combat Class 101 where you will, under my tutelage, gain a better understanding on your unique fighting styles, weaponry and semblances. Most classes will be divided into two segments, the first a one-hour lecture in which there will be a quiz on the material every week and a test every second week. The remaining hour and thirty minutes will be combat practice. This first week, the entire period will be combat practice in which I will pair up students at random and you will fight each other in my sparring arena.

"Rules are simple and will be strictly enforced. Break a rule, and you will gain yourself a detention. Break multiple and you will be fighting me. Do I make myself clear?"

There were a few nods. As well as Yang shaking her head no at my beyond gleeful smile at hearing we could fight the professor.

Professor Goodwitch snapped her riding crop on her open palm. "Do I make myself clear!"

"Yes, Professor!" Came the echoing reply.

"Good," she continued. "Matches will be until your opponent's aura drops below 35%, they have been knocked out of the arena, or they submit. Any attempts to continue after your opponent surrenders is a basis for expulsion. I do not take unprovoked attacks lightly in my classroom.

"Semblances are allowed to be used, unless I say otherwise, as are ranged attacks and dust usage. But please let me know prior to any match if you are primarily a ranged fighter or possess a destructive semblance, so that I can tailor the arena to your fighting style and keep the rest of the students who will be watching you safe from harm. Please raise your hand now if you use a long ranged or medium ranged weapon."

I raised my hand. As did most of the class.

"And those who are primarily dust-wielders?"

I lowered my hand, but saw as Weiss and a few others I could not name raise theirs. I watched as the professor wrote down the names of all the students who had raised their hands. Lots of ranged fighters in this class. I guessed that made sense. Everyone had some sort of gun on their weapons. Except Jaune of course.

"Now, let's have Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose step forward for our first match of the day."

I froze. Called on first. "Darn," I whispered. I knew I forgot to ask something. How strong were humans! I had never fought anybody before. Not really. Mr. Torchwick did not count. We had our… arrangement. Were Reapers even stronger than a human when not in our Shroud?

"Knock 'em dead Rubes." Yang cheered, patting me forcefully on the back, breaking me from my less than helpful thoughts.

Was I supposed to kill the human in these fights? No, I shook the silly thought from my head. Professor Goodwitch was strict about the rules. I rolled my shoulders, loosening some imaginary tension from them. Aura drops below thirty five percent-

I froze again.

Aura.

Humans had aura. What did Reapers have? Because it certainly was not aura. More like near impenetrable skin with a healthy dose of Reaper magic thrown in. This was not good.

I grabbed my scythe from my locker -because apparently opening holes to sub-dimensions was an impossibility for people without the right semblance- and made my way to the arena at the front of the room.

As Jaune stood in front of me looking scared out of his mind, his sword hand trembling over the weapon and shield held higher than needed, I froze again. How hard did humans hit? Could they take a full swing like the giant nevermore during initiation? No, they were probably more like a zombie.

"Miss Rose?"

I looked up to see the professor, Jaune and the rest of the class staring at me. The professor looked rather annoyed with a hand outstretched towards me.

"Yes?"

"Your scroll please."

"Huh?"

"Scroll, Miss Rose. I don't like dilly-dallying and children wasting my time. As you no doubt know from the last time we spoke."

I sheepishly handed her my scroll, watching as she connected it to the arena's overhead display. At the click of a button, mine and Jaune's aura's appeared on the screen for the class to see. Or rather, Jaune's aura appeared. A nice and full green bar with the percentage written over top in red for clear visibility. Next to the bar was Jaune's name in blue. Clean, easy to read and understand.

Underneath was my name in the same blue. But, instead of an aura meter, was 'ERROR', written glaringly in red. I felt nauseous. This wasn't good. This wasn't good. This was not good.

"The headmaster said this may be a problem to look for with you." Professor Goodwitch informed me in a low voice so the rest of the class would not hear. "As a late acceptance to Beacon, headmaster Ozpin warned me your scroll might not have fully attuned to your aura levels. Do not fret, he gave me a workaround for you specifically."

As the professor plugged away at a separate code, the error warning disappeared and my bar was filled. The regular green bar rolled it's way across the screen in a reverse path of what it was meant to dictate. Then a red bar filtered across, overlapping the green.

Then a yellow bar.

Then another red bar.

And then a black bar.

Finally, a green bar appeared over top it all.

I felt my eyes widen with each bar appearing, trying desperately not to look at anyone. Not my class, who were all staring at me or the overhead display intently. Not Jaune, who looked to be quaking in his shoes at the thought of fighting. And not at the professor, who was staring at me with a raised eyebrow. Once the final bar was completed and no more seemed to be appearing, the professor spoke.

"Just a bug in the system. All is well," she turned to Jaune, then back to me. "Are you both ready?"

Jaune nodded slowly. I smiled halfheartedly and gave a slight nod.

"You both know the rules. Begin."

I unleashed the full length of my weapon, curving it behind me and dropping into a defensive stance. Jaune's eyes widened at the weapon. I knew I told him about my scythe. I guess not many people use the weapon of Reapers as their standard huntsman tool. Not that I blamed anyone. This thing was a pain to learn how to use. Well, both of my scythes were, but at least my Grim Reaper one felt more like a third hand than a separate object. I waited until Jaune charged at me, sword held high.

He swung low and I jumped to the side. A very clear opening in his defenses, but I refused to strike out. Nope, now was not the time to test how strong a human was.

'Miss Rose, you've killed Mr. Arc. Three night's detention and then execution.' I smirked at the grim thought, as I spun around another attack, not even dipping into my magic to increase my speed -my semblance- missing another easy opportunity to strike.

"Ha! Look at the little girl. Just dancing around him not even bothering to attack such an easy opponent," someone guffawed from the back of the room. "Come on blondie! You're losing to a pipsqueak!"

"Hey!" I shouted back, stopping to face the crowd, trying to spot the heckler, "I'm not a pipsqueak!"

I ducked under an overhead swing, not even bothering to look at Jaune as he spun and fell from the force. The professor pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Then prove it and put the idiot out of his misery. Just look at the guy. What. A freaking. Weakling."

"Mr. Winchester, detention." Goodwitch finally had enough. Winchester crossed his arms and leaned further back in his chair, unhappy, but refusing to continue his commentary.

"Miss Rose, you too. As I said earlier, I will not have people wasting my time in class."

I turned to see Jaune panting, his sword's tip resting on the floor and his back arched down, as if struggling to lift the weight of his weapon.

"I would like you to attack, Miss Rose. Do something."

"I shouldn't," I hung my head, taking a step back from my opponent.

"And why not?"

"What if I accidentally kill him?"

My honest question brought a round of laughter from the class; Winchester most of all. I turned to Jaune, to see him blushing, his face falling in shame. I flinched. I didn't mean to make it sound like that. I only meant that I didn't know my own strength, not that Jaune was weak. I did not want to make him look so inexperienced, like he could not even stand a chance against someone -he believed to be- two years his junior.

As he stomped away, muttering his surrender, I tried to reach out for him. "Jaune, I-"

"Whatever Ruby. I'll see you later." Jaune's voice was low, but in a way I wasn't used to. He sounded angry. No, more than that. He sounded furious. And embarrassed. Maybe a little annoyed and aggravated.

"Then Ruby Rose is the winner by surrender. Miss Rose, please put your weapon away and see the headmaster after class."

I ran from the room, activating my magical semblance and leaving shadowy rose petals in my wake. I flew into the change rooms before my eyes began to water. I slammed the door before the first tears fell. I sank to the floor and sobbed into my knees. No, this was not how I wanted this day to go. I just didn't want to hurt him.

"Great. Less than a week and I lost the only sorta-friend I had." I slapped my knee, trying to feel any pain to rid me of the feelings. Even the slight stinging did nothing to alleviate the turmoil. Darn these human emotions! I growled loudly, the sound echoing off the walls.

"No," I wiped my face with the corner of my cloak. "This is not how Ruby Rose, human, ends. What does Yang always say to do? Apologize and start again." I rubbed my palm over my eyes to finish drying them and got up.

"Just apologize Ruby," I commanded myself, walking towards the boy's change rooms where Jaune would be. "Just tell him that you like killing monsters, but not people. Fighting people, I mean. Ruby Rose does not like fighting or killing people. Ya, that's it. Maybe tell the Professor that you don't like fighting people and she will let you watch instead? She would understa-"

I heard two voices in the change room. One was definitely Jaune's. The other was somebody else's, though familiar. I listened in.

"Pathetic, can't even beat a little girl. How did you get into Beacon anyway?"

Yup, it was that Winchester guy.

"Just give up now before you need to go up against someone willing to fight back."

I jumped as something hit the door.

It opened up and Winchester walked out, too embroiled in himself to pay me any mind. I peered into the room. Jaune's signature mop of blond hair was easily distinguishable. I knocked lightly on the wall. He flinched and spun to look at me. His eyes met mine for a moment, but quickly turned sour and turned away.

"What do you want, Ruby," he sighed. "Come to finish what you wouldn't in front of everybody?"

I mumbled something even I was unsure of what I said.

"What?" His obvious reply.

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out forcefully.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so so so sorry for what I did. I promise I didn't mean to. Well, I meant to not hit you, but I didn't mean what I said or what you and everybody thought of as me thinking you're weak. Because you're Jaune Arc, you're not weak, but I was scared and I don't like fighting, well I like fighting, I guess I just don't like fighting people, because they could get hurt and I don't like seeing people hurt, and my whole purpose is to make people feel better and not continue living with hurt after- not that you would get hurt, I mean, but still I was scared and I panicked and I didn't know what else to do and I'm just so sorry and I don't want to lose you as my sorta-friend because you were the first and only person to want to talk with me even though I look really young and I made a fool of you in class without meaning to and-"

Jaune's hand covered my mouth, cutting off my ceaseless ramblings of an apology. I waited patiently as he dropped his hand and sighed.

"You're right," he finally said.

Not realizing I had held my breath, I finally sucked in a new lung-full of air. "What do you mean?"

"That I'm weak and if you actually fought me, you would hurt me."

"No, that can't be right. You're Jaune Arc! The huntsman extraordinaire!"

"But I'm not."

"Of course you are! I was just being childish and I should have told you right away that I wasn't going to attack because I don't like attacking humans- erm, people."

"But I'm not!" Jaune erupted, slamming his hands on a tiled floor, the high pitched echo drowning out my attempts at alleviating the situation. I shrunk back.

"I'm not a huntsman extraordinary or whatever. I'm not even a real huntsman in training. Ruby, I-I lied to get into Beacon."

He gazed at me intently, waiting for his words to hit me with their full impact.

"I lied to get into Beacon. I forged my paperwork so I looked stronger and smarter than I was. I came into initiation not even knowing what aura was, much less actually having it. Did you know Pyrrha unlocked my aura during initiation? I have no clue what I'm doing here."

He looked at the ground in front of him. I let the silence linger between us.

"I shouldn't be in Beacon either." My voice was a whisper.

I felt his eyes glance at me.

"It's a long story and I don't feel comfortable telling you yet, or anyone really. But, I understand where you're coming from. I really do. And I don't think any less of you because of it. If I can train to be a huntress. Me. Then you could too. Well as a huntsman, because you're a boy you can't be a huntress, your hair isn't long enough for it."

He chuckled. The tension between the two of us disappeared in an instant and I joined along. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You're a really good friend, Ruby. I'm sorry for snapping at you back there in the ring."

"That's alright. And I'm so super-duper sorry for making you look weak."

"I forgive you." Jaune smiled, "it's alright Ruby. I just need to learn more and train that much harder. I'll do it myself. I need to prove to everyone that I deserve to be here just as much as they do."

"Okay. But know that your friends are here for you, if you ever need help."

"Thanks, Vampirina."

"Vampirina?" I frowned.

"Vampirina? You know, Ruby. Bloody Ruby the vampire you're named after? No, forget it. It's a stupid nickname."

"No! No, I like it. Thanks, Jaune. I've never had a nickname before."

"No problem. Hey, what nickname would you give me?"

I giggled.

"Vomit boy."

He paled. "No, please no. Don't tell me you saw that!"

I laughed, "I smelled it too!"

He groaned into my shoulder as I fell into a fit of laughter. Yes, Jaune was definitely my friend. My best, first and only friend.

"Thank you. You definitely turned my day around. Come on, let's get going before Professor Goodwitch misses us."

He tapped on my shoulder gently as he stood up. I gripped his outstretched hand, letting him pull me up and the two of us walked back to our seats, shoulder to shoulder.

"Hey, you and blondie good?" Yang asked as I took my seat.

"I really think we are."

"That's good. I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm glad you still have your friend after it. When you want to talk to me, I'm all ears."

"Thanks Yang."

"Were you really scared of hurting Jaune?"

I nodded.

Yang leaned close to me, "does somebody have a little crush?"

"What- pff- how- I-" no matter how many times I tried; words weren't coming to me. I struggled to let out anything other than awkward sounds as Yang laughed into her hands.

"Wow Rubes, you've gone so white!"

"What?!" I pulled out my scroll and looked at myself in the camera. My heart rate immediately slowed when I saw my reflection. "Oh, you meant pale."

Yang continued talking and making comments throughout the rest of the period. Luckily, it was something that I, along with the rest of my team, were quickly becoming very good at tuning out.

"That is all for today. Those of you who haven't fought will be fighting next class. And remember, this weekend we will be going to the Forever Fall forest for your first taste at a mission. Miss Rose and Mister Winchester, you have detention with me tomorrow, do not be late."

As the rest of the class got their things and left, heading right to either the dorms, library or cafeteria, I ventured left towards the headmaster's office in Beacon Tower. Alone, although convincing Yang that I would be fine was as much a hassle as anything else. But finally I had climbed those many stairs to the top floor and knocked gently against the door to the headmaster's office. There was a click and the door opened up to the headmaster's kind eyes behind a pair of green spectacles hanging low on his nose.

"Welcome Miss Rose, please come in." He closed the door behind me and gestured to take a seat. "I wanted to see how your first few days have been after our discussion. To touch base, as it were."

"So far so good, professor."

The headmaster took a small sip from his mug. "That is good. That is very good. And how are things with your team going? With Yang. Your older sister, was it?"

I nodded, "I think we're bonding. Or I hope we all are. Weiss is being nicer to me and we're all so excited for this weekend."

"Indeed. I do wish to warn you not to take such a mission lightly. There are plenty Grimm in the forest of Forever Fall and all will quickly take note of whom or what is in their forest. Human. Faunus. Or other."

My eyes widened, but he paid it no mind. "Zombies and Chimera, even the occasional vampire likes to test the Grimm in this forest. It is perfect land for Salemites to flourish." He continued on, leaving me both puzzled and relieved.

"I am pleased to see that you are gifted in defense. At least judging from your one duel with the young Mr. Arc. It had been a while since I saw six aura bars appear. It must be the system restoring itself after inputting new data to fit your own biology. As Beacon scrolls do with all the students who pass through these halls. Or, you are quite younger than I presumed you were, but no matter.

"You must keep up with your studies. You have a lot to learn, along with the rest of your year. I would also recommend asking Miss Belladonna for assistance with acquiring those books on advanced Salemites you were looking for. I hear that she has already become quite adept at sneaking into my library after-hours."

I stared at him. Ozpin was a confusing one. Did the man ever speak clearly about anything?

"I bid you farewell miss Rose. Please enjoy your stay here at Beacon, as long as it may last."

I got up to leave, pushing my chair in and heading to the door. This confusing talk had perplexed me, rather than enlighten me like our last one. Both were equally as confusing though. It was like... No, it was impossible. No point in even thinking such crazy and self-harming thoughts. Best to take what he said at face value. Just the maddening words of an intelligent human made purposefully maddening to make himself sound wiser than he was. I could dwell on their hidden meanings later.

For now, I needed to finish my homework with Weiss and play video games with Yang and read more of my books on people. Maybe a tune-up of Crescent Rose before bed if I had the time. Maybe I could ask Blake about getting those books on Grim Reapers. Or was now too soon? We only knew each other for a few days now. Not even a week.

"Miss Rose?"

I turned to look at the smiling professor Ozpin, both his hands resting on his desk.

"It's said that a human's aura can withstand the full strike of a Goliath Grimm before it will shatter on impact. Though, typically a person can only hit a fraction of that strength. People with Miss Xiao Long's semblance being one of the few exceptions of course. Please close the door on your way out."

* * *

**Hopefully this chapter was alright. I'm trying to show how Ruby; while trying to be human, has no idea some of the basics about being human. Whether it worked or not, please let me know. Aside from that, this story has now become my most viewed story ever. So thank you all for taking the time to read my work!**

**Astral chronicles - Who knows? I like to think that Professor Oz is just a nutty eccentric. Who knows what someone like him might be thinking?**

**Blessings of Babylon - Someone is asking the real questions now! Now to answer your first question with one of my own. Are you confident you know all the abilities of Reapers? And for your second question, that was one of the first things I had to consider when planning out this story. Some things I had to modify a bit just because I wasn't a fan of it in the show or to fit in this new story, such as Raven ever visiting Yang in bird-form. Like, why would she even visit Yang at all? And why would Tai or Qrow or even Summer not notice a very familiar raven watching Yang? Makes no sense to me. So for her, I've changed it to my head-canon. She simply doesn't care about Yang and had no reason to visit. As for the rest of Patch, that goes hand in hand with why Tai nor Yang are suspicious of a never-aging 15 year old girl lives with them. Trust me when I say that it has been figured out ahead of time and will most likely play a major part in this story.**

**Ragedrock - Ozpin is such a fun character to write. Just write wishy-washy phrases and maybe a smile here or there and he's done! Oh, and coffee. Can't write Ozpin without coffee.**

**Firewyrm2 #1 - Sounds like a fun videogame!**

**Firewyrm2 #2 and Lasereye27 - Glad to see you enjoyed the early chapter. I just had to do something special for reaching this milestone. But alas, we must return to the usual chapter pacing. Gotta give myself time to actually write this thing.**

**JackTheSpades - Like... I would like to say that Ruby remains the only canon Reaper, but spoilers. There are some gimmicks in this story that do appear, but I think they are unique enough to be alright. Writing Ruby reaping in chapter 1 was a lot of fun to do.**

**Firewyrn2 #3 - Neat! I really should have remembered NAMCO. I had one of those old systems that you need to plug into your TV and you can play like 5-6 different games on them using a joystick... Did I just age myself? I feel like I aged myself. I promise I'm still young and free spirited! I'm still hip and with the times!**

**So, the next chapter is going to be pushed back a week. This is so I can slip in a new one-shot as well as give me a bit more time to write this one. After that, we will return to the usual 2 week update. Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Fun fact: I wrote the first four chapters of this story in a single sitting while at work. It took me 2 hours to write and I did it all during the supposed '5 minutes' my boss asked for in order to find me more work. Just thought this was an interesting little tidbit before we started. Anyways, onto the show!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Detention. So, this was what people did when they got in trouble. Sitting down in a small room at individual desks, waiting for the clock on the wall to tick passed a certain predetermined time. Doing nothing. Time that could have been spent sparring, or studying, or just hanging out with friends. Even time that could have been better spent learning something new. No, this was how the punishment went.

For wasting our teacher's time, we had our own time wasted in return. I smirked. It was a perfectly reasonable and fair punishment. Even I could see that, though I found it quite boring and tame. And only for two hours. That was but a blip of time, even for humans. I had lived for one hundred and fifteen years. Over one hundred long years. I was the same age as the oldest man currently alive. Yes, I looked up his age during Professor Port's class.

I had been on Remnant for such a long time that my childhood naps made me miss life-changing, world altering events that would shape human history for decades or centuries to come. I had lived through at least three generations of people, maybe a fourth.

And yet.

I was mind numbingly, soul shatteringly, unabatedly bored out of my mind.

Was this a human thing?! My head slammed onto my arms which were splayed out on my desk. I got a cough from Professor Peaches or whatever her name was, who was watching me and Winchester -apparently his first name was Cardin- and the dozen other students of all years who had been given detention that week. Or at least this type of detention, because apparently this school ran on a 'punishment must fit the crime' sort of system.

I was told that another group of students was sweeping the courtyard. I would not ever admit that I begged to be given that punishment over sitting still and quietly for two hours. Not being allowed to look at anyone else, or tap on my desk, or shake my legs, or even hum a tune or seven in my head. No, I would not say that I stooped low enough to grovel at the feet of a professor, begging her to grant me asylum from this room by giving me chores. Chores!

But, judging by the tiny glances that Cardin and his ilk were giving me, as well as their less than quiet snickers, I had done just that. I groaned and hid further into my arms. This was not a hide in my hood sort of embarrassment. This was definitely a dig my face into my desk as far as possible and hope I disappear sort of emotion. For once, I could not wait for that vampire's death to wear off and for me to lose all these all too human emotions.

I eyed the clock longingly. There was still thirty minutes left. That meant I finished most of detention already. Just thirty minutes. That's fifteen minutes twice, or ten minutes three times. Or five minutes six times, or three minutes ten times. Yes, I could manage to get through three minutes ten times. That would be easy! As Yang puts it, it would be a piece of cake. All I would need was something to distract myself.

Cake.

Was cake any good? It would have to be for there to be a phrase for it. Or maybe it was just easy to make. Ya, that would make sense. Cakes are easy to make so things that are easy are as easy as cake. Or was that easy as pie? And was it a slice of cake or piece of cake? Phrases are confusing. My eyebrow twitched as no time seemed to be passing by while my thoughts spiraled into such absurdity that even I could not hope to follow.

It was like each tick of the clock was happening slower than the previous one.

Tick tick tick.

Tick… tick…

Tick.

I glanced up. That was strange. The clock had stopped. It was most likely out of…

I looked around. Cardin was leaning back in his seat, tilting it onto its hind legs with his foot on the desk. A smug grin etched into his face and eyes shut mid-blink. Professor Peach was sitting at her desk and looking intently at a pile of papers, pen in one hand, its tip resting on the top sheet. Her other hand was resting on her cheek, lightly touching it with the tips of her fingers in avid concentration. Unmoving in her focus.

I leaned forward to get a better view.

Or maybe it was just unmoving. Standing up slowly, I glanced at each of my detention mates. Not a single one had moved a muscle. A hand wave in front of the face of one really tall boy all but confirmed it. Time had stopped.

No, that wasn't it. Time was still moving. Judging by the professor's red pen continuing to leak on the page, or the water falling from the mouth of one student mid-sip.

"Hello?" I asked in a voice much quieter than needed. "Is this some sort of joke thing?"

No movement. Not even a breath or a smirk of amusement at my obviously growing confusion. Tucking my chair into my desk, I walked around, tapping lightly on the table. This was weird. Poking my head out of the classroom, the hallways were in a similar state of un-timeliness. Students stood still in the hallways, smiles or frowns on their faces and many with lips parted mid-conversation. I stepped out, my boots echoing across the now eerily silent hall.

Then all at once, the air around me grew cold and stale. In a single breath, the heat of the sun made way for a coldness which was paling to that of my Reaper guise. I exhaled fog, which floated lazily in this newfound air. Then the sunlight shining through the many open windows dimmed. So too did the lights hanging overhead. This was weird. I checked the corner of my hood.

"Still red."

No, I had not changed into my Grim Reaper form. I remained looking like the same human Ruby Rose I had for the last week or two.

"Hello?" I ventured out a call, not knowing what to expect.

Then I saw the black tendrils of shadow flicker into view. Coming around the corner was the source of this sudden darkness. As it came further into focus, I could tell it was strong. Stronger and much older than I was. But what it was, was plain to see.

Swaying before me, cloak hidden feet just barely sweeping along the floor was a Grim Reaper. Hood raised and face covered in ashen shadow, only two bright red eyes gazed out from underneath. A piercing gaze which sent chills running through my spine. It slowly creeped towards me; gleaming eyes fixed on my own. As it passed by students, they visibly shook, even with feet firmly frozen in place.

The Grim Reaper towered over me, surrounding me with its otherworldly presence. Then its eyes softened. The fierce garnet gaze was filled with a sudden calming warmth. Its cloaked hands, once fastened around its scythe let go of the powerful weapon, allowing it to float alongside, while it reached for its hood.

Slowly, the shadowed hood was pulled back, revealing a young and pretty face. The woman's long raven black hair spilled forth. Her calming eyes of ruby-gold, like miniature flames, were squinting in a small smile, which also descended to her light pink lips. Her deathly pale skin, which had shown the tiniest inklings of the bones underneath, became fleshy, though still white as chalk. As her hood was dropped, so too did the massive presence which surrounded her, until she stood in front of me now only a head or so taller.

"I did not expect to see another of my kind in a place like this." Her voice was soothing. Deep and feminine with a hint of pleasant charm. I could not even hope to tear my gaze from her. I was trapped in the spell that was her.

"I would not have come if I knew another of us was claiming this territory. Especially one so young. I would have at least waited until it had been claimed so that our duel would leave us both on an equal field. How old are you, little one?"

It took me a moment to realize she had asked me a question. My eyes lowered to her cloak covered feet. "Fifteen. A hundred and fifteen."

"One too young to be left alone." She was so enamoring. So completely calming. I knew it was what she was. My voice, sight and appearance was calming too, towards the dying. But I had never before felt a Reaper's powers on my own person. It was like nothing I had ever expected. "How far along are you in claiming this territory? You must have stumbled upon it quite recently if I could not tell you were here."

"I don't know how to." I mumbled.

"Please speak up, little one." There was no malice in her words, just the gentle calm. Maybe a hint of curious delight.

"I don't know how to claim a territory," I said much louder this time. "My mother was killed before she taught me. I was hoping the books in the library would be able to teach me something useful for it."

"You must be very bright to think of such things. Well, I am not a Reaper who would keep a youngling from trying to claim her first territory. There is no pleasure in stealing from a child." She smiled pleasantly. "Who was your mother, little one?"

I shook my head, "she told me never to reveal to another one of us her name."

The elder Reaper nodded with a smirk. "At least she taught you that. Only the Grim Reaper should reveal her own name to another. Well my dear, let me be the first to introduce myself. My name is Cinder. Cinder Fall."

"I'm Ruby Rose," I replied.

"Summer's daughter. Yes, I have met your mother before. We were never the best of friends, but what Reapers are?" Cinder giggled.

"If you want this area, I'll leave. I've no claim to it and you could easily beat me." My head dropped. There was nothing I could do. Not in the presence of such a powerful Reaper. Or any other Reaper. I was too young, too weak. I knew it, she knew it.

"I think not, little one." I looked up, her words surprising me. "As I said, it would be rude of me to take a territory from one so young, even if she has not yet claimed it. I will allow you to keep this area. To learn to claim it as your own. Now, now. I won't teach you how to do so. I expect you to use that bright mind of yours to learn for yourself. Just know that I do plan on returning here in the near future. So, I propose a deal. In return for not forcing you from this land, I will grant it to you. If you learn to claim a territory and claim it by the time I return, you will allow me to wander through it. I will not Reap any souls from it, nor try to diminish your hold over it. But, you will allow me access to it. To move around it outside of your viewing. If you have yet to claim it, you will relinquish any claim you have to it, but I will offer the same allowances that you would offer me. If it's unsuitable to you, we can always fight and settle this in the usual way."

Cinder Fall held out her hand to me. In this form, her hands were ghostly pale, almost translucent. The faint shapes of her finger's bones were visible beneath her skin. I reached towards her hand with my own. As our hands touched, my own Reaper form began seeping through. My hand up to my shoulder became more transparent and pale, shadows clinging to my red hood and cloak, deepening them to a crimson. I shook her hand.

Underneath her smile and my own, there was a battle raging between us. Like lightning shooting between our conjoined hands, as we both subconsciously pitted our wills in an unnatural battle. The handshake lasted much longer than I realized. Our own Reaper magics fought; two Salemites of incredible strength so close to each other that they were touching. Something that would normally never happen, unless a powerful deal was being made.

Much more powerful than I may have first realized.

And then our hands disconnected, and the flames of power flickered into but a spark. The hallway brightened. I had not even realized it darkened even further in our struggle of wills. The woman, Cinder Fall smiled a pleasant, motherly smile.

"It has been a pleasure to meet you, Ruby Rose, the young Reaper. I do hope that when we see each other again, we can both become friends. I have always wanted to teach a friend what I know. I will see you soon, little one. I hope to see how strong your claim to this territory becomes."

With those final words, she pulled back on her hood and gripped her scythe. Tendrils of shadow billowed from the bottom of her clothe, and she left the way she came without a glance back. As she phased through the wall, the darkness and cold receded, until it was only a chill left in my spine. Slowly, the students began to move and voices filled the silent halls.

I walked back into class and sat down before everything resumed its usual pace. Professor Peach shook her head, waking herself from her stupor and frowned as she realized her pen had leaked through the paper she was marking, ruining the words before she could read them. A student to my left coughed, spewing out water which had been choking him. The others in the detention room laughed at his clumsiness, only falling silent at the professor clearing her throat.

I couldn't think of anything other than the conversation I had with the other Reaper.

Cinder Fall.

The only Grim Reaper I had ever met that was kind to me, aside from my mother. She was so much older than I was. Centuries old at least, maybe more. If she wanted to, it would have taken mere moments to defeat me and forced me out of Beacon Academy. And yet, she let me stay. More than that, she gave me the chance to try and claim my first territory. To actually grow stronger. Even then, she wouldn't attack me. If I claimed this land, then it would be mine and I would be safe. Safe from her as well, thanks to our deal. I smiled lightly.

Once Professor Peach was satisfied, she let us leave, calmly instructing us to never be given detention again before sending us on our way. I had to talk to Blake tonight. There was no time to waste.

I had a territory to claim.

* * *

**Hooray! With this chapter, we have finally hit 25 thousand words. This is all super duper exciting. Everyone gets a cookie. Even you Ruby!**

**Hmmmmmmm101 - Letting you know right now that as of now, I have no shipping plans nor ship in mind for this story. That may be subject to change in the future, but don't expect romance to be a major part of this story even if it does happen. Is there a hierarchy of Reapers? The answer is maybe. Is there an original Reaper? Yes. Ancient Reapers? Most definitely yes. Super ancient Reapers from the beginning of humanity? No. Reapers live, age and die. It's just hell of a lot slower.**

**Ranjira1988 - I'm actually surprised to see so few stories with Ruby as a Reaper. Like, in almost every fic, Ruby is mentioned as 'the red reaper' or simply 'reaper' and nobody thought to take that literally?**

**lasereye27 - Hopefully soon we can get a real fight for two in this. hmm... A Cardin v Ruby fight... that might be interesting. I'm curious to see how Ruby stacks up with Pyrrha or Yang.**

**JackTheSpades - Who knows what Ozzy knows? Cuz Ozzy sure doesn't! (or does he?) Well, Jaune is still Jaune I suppose. There was a lot going on in this chapter and a lot of new info surrounding Ruby. There is some fun stuff coming up. Also, I completely stole that pale bit from a similar moment in Young Justice. This info has no real relevance to the story, but it was too great of a moment to leave out. :)**

**Videocrazy - That's hot cocoa?! WHat?! Okay, my mind has officially been blown. No, I refuse to believe that somebody who spends all his time behind a desk does not drink bucket loads of coffee. Otherwise my entire existence is a lie. As of now, there are two potential routes Oz in this story can go and I'm still trying to decide which I prefer. Either way, I think you are in for a treat.**

**Firewyrm2 - I love responding to these messages! It's the best way to interact with my readers (wow that's awesome to say. my readers *squee!*). Definitely shoot me a message with the link when you post one. I'd be honoured to read it.**

**Halo29 - Thanks for the kind words!**

**MasterScarcity1 - That always happens to me too! Half the stories on my current reading list I don't even remember putting on.**

**And we are venturing into the start of the Jaunedice arc of classic RWBY. Aka my least favourite part of the entire show. I'm surprised nobody noticed how rushed this part of the timeline was. Only a few days between Jaune's reveal and the Forever Fall mission. So, sorry if it feels like it's being glossed over, because it will be.**

**Last minute add-on: Holy cow guys! This story has reached 150 follows and over 80 favourites. You all are incredible Thank you so much and know that there is so much more to come.**

**Also, now that RWBY is coming back for a brand new volume, please be respectful and not share any spoilers. I've already had the first (and second) episode spoiled for me and it sucks.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well hello all. Time for the wordiest chapter yet!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Yang was sitting on her bed, head between her legs as she faux-cried. The rest of our team was standing in front of her, glancing at one another. At least I wasn't the only person confused by the awkward display of emotion. As Yang let out another bellowing moan, which once again confirmed our suspicions that her tears and sobs were indeed fake, Weiss seemed to have enough, slapping her with a strong back-hand.

"Please shut up, you annoying brute," came the ice queen's harsh words.

"What did I do wrong!" Yang groaned in reply. "I thought I was the perfect sister. Did I not sneak out enough? Did I set too good of an example for my poor little Rubix Cube? It had to be something I did. Why else would Ruby go to Blake of all people to learn how to sneak out! And the library of all places? What did I do to you to make you want to sneak out after hours just to study more?"

Blake and I groaned in unison. So that's what these last five minutes of hugging and fake-crying were all about? Because I asked Blake instead of her?

"Yang, maybe Ruby wants to sneak into the library to meet up with some boy? Who says it's to study," Blake asked helpfully, perking up the wily blonde.

"You're right! Maybe she did learn a thing or two from me! But I better meet this mystery man first, Ruby. I want him to know what's what before he's allowed to even think of touching you."

I immediately tensed and felt my face heat up and turn a not very natural colour. "What boy? There's no boy!"

"Fine, girl then." Yang shrugged, giving me a wave of her hand.

My cheeks reddened further.

"There's nobody! I promise!" I quickly spat out, waving both my hands in front of me, trying desperately to force those types of thoughts from my teammates' minds. Judging from the smirks all three of them were giving me, it was a completely lost cause.

"I just need Blake's help to get into the library's restricted access section after hours to find a book!"

"So you want to break into a section of the library that requires explicit professor permission, to get your hands on a book. On the one hand, my sister is a dork. But on the other, she's breaking a whole mess of school rules. Huh," Yang tapped her chin. "This is a tough one. Should I be proud of her or not? Weissicle, help me out here. Is she a dork or a badass?"

Weiss huffed and rolled her eyes, not even bothering to answer. Yang shook her head over a moment of chin-tapping.

"No matter, I still think it's some guy. Or girl." She added after noticing my glare.

Why was my glare not frightening her! I was copying the face Weiss makes all the time and I knew I had it mastered by now. I guess I needed more practice in front of the mirror.

"So Blake, will you help me?"

"Why me?"

"Because Professor Ozpin said that you were pretty good at it." My reply seemed to make Blake tense and pale.

"What? I thought it was a compliment." I looked between the three of them, oblivious to why Weiss and Yang were chuckling and Blake was muttering to herself about losing her touch and needing more practice at infiltration.

"Fine, I'll help you get that book you want." Blake finally acquiesced.

"At least you're taking a bigger interest in your education," Weiss agreed. "Even if it does involve illicit behavior."

"I'm going to go with being proud of you for breaking rules before me. And getting a detention first! Hah! I can't wait to tell dad about that."

Yang guffawed against my whine to keep it a secret.

Taiyang wasn't my father, but it would still be best to keep on his good side.

"Can you at least hold off on your planned late night extracurriculars until after our trip to Forever Fall? Maybe a little later? I would prefer my partner was not given a second detention and force the both of us to remain behind on our first mission."

I readily agreed. It only meant waiting a week or two. Besides, we were heading to Forever Fall tomorrow and it was already too late to go snooping around in the library after hours. Well, it wasn't too late, because the whole point of it was to go get the book late at night anyways, but after just having that conversation with Ozpin, it might make things too obvious. But then again, who would suspect someone of sneaking into a library the day after they are informed of that possibility?

I then proceeded to curse myself for rambling in my own thoughts. That could wait, we had a mission coming up tomorrow!

"So, who's excited for tomorrow?" I decided to change the conversation to a safer topic.

Yang shrugged, leaning back on her mattress resting on her forearms. "Should be pretty easy. I bet five lien it's going to be a simple grab and go mission, like initiation."

"It must be at least somewhat harder, right? We had some classes already. Even a sparring class, so they must at least have some ideas as to what we all could handle."

"I guess we will see. Good night." Blake said, giving a small wave and nimbly lifting herself up onto her bunk, above Yang. Pulling out a book, she opened it to the bookmark and proceeded to tune the rest of us out.

"You think she really drowns us out? Or is she secretly listening to everything we're saying. Like, if I were to say that I really enjoy Blake's bella-booty, or that she has incredible legs… She blushing Rubes?"

"Nope," I shook my head. "Not even a smile."

"Damn," Yang snapped her fingers.

"Well, as fun as listening to the two of you prattle on about your indecent and rather unbecoming manners and workplace behavior, I will be turning in for the night as well. I will see you on the morrow." Weiss turned to me, sneering. "And if you deign to use that infernal whistle, or even consider slamming pots and pans together from the dorm-floor kitchen, I will strangle you."

With those final words, she slipped under her covers, face turned towards the wall and away from my sister and me. I looked to Yang, surprised.

"We have a kitchen?"

"Where do you think Ren gets all the pancakes for you and Nora from?"

"I thought that was just one of life's mysteries!"

Yang chuckled and rubbed my hair affectionately. "You really are a dork, Ruby. I love you."

"Y-ya. You too," I let out.

No way was I saying those words. From everything I read, those were important words. You could love a thing. Or even love doing a thing. But loving a person? That was different. That meant you had a… connection with them. Real trust. I trusted Yang. She was my human sister, after all. But did she really trust me? Or this interpretation of me? Would she still say those words if she knew what I really was? Or would she treat me with as much fear that was shown in Professor Port's first class.

With those less than joyful thoughts, I climbed into my own bed, shouted goodnight to the three of them and stared at the ceiling. Another couple hours of boredom and my own thoughts, before fatigue and sleep would claim my body.

* * *

I woke up with the sun, and for probably the first time, so too did the rest of my team. That isn't to say that they were truly awake, but they were 'up'. Except for Yang. The moment she stood on her two feet, she fell face first onto the hard floor below her.

Snoring.

The rest of us collectively agreed to leave her be until the very last minute. An hour later and we were all ready to go.

"Breakfast," Yang reminded us.

So, twenty minutes later, we were finally ready to go.

"We need our weapons from our lockers," Weiss mentioned offhandedly.

Ten minutes later and some complaining by yours truly about using the rocket lockers like they were designed for; we all had our weapons and Team RWBY was finally able to reach the bullhead docks to get started on our class mission.

Of course, we were the last ones to arrive. At least Professor Goodwitch scolded us on route to the Forever Fall Forest, instead of waste any more precious time before departure. Scolding done and trip over, we touched down in a small empty field somewhere deep in the forest and were all assembled as a class of first year hunters in training.

"Professor Peach is in need of sap from the trees in this forest. Each team will be required to collect two jars. You have four hours to complete this mission and return to the bullheads." Task given and jars distributed to each group of pairs, we set forth on our mission. Our very first mission!

"This'll be a breeze," Yang laughed, tossing her jar from one hand to the other.

"This mission is obviously to prepare us for the more tedious aspects of the huntsman life," Weiss surmised. I couldn't help but nod along to Weiss's statement. "If anything, it is to see if we are able to complete our assigned mission in an effective and time-efficient manner. I suggest we fill these jars and return them to Professor Goodwitch post haste."

Yang shrugged, "fine by me. Gives us more time to lay around and catch some Z's."

"Ooh no siree!" The energetic redhead from Team JNPR jumped up onto Yang's shoulders, having sneaked past all of us mid-conversation. "You got to try some of the sap first! Apparently it tastes awesome. Even Grimm like the smell!"

"Nora, please get off." Nora smiled and patted Yang's cheek before hopping down. The rest of Team JNPR joined us shortly after.

I said hello to Jaune and I waved to the rest of his team. Nora was hyper, almost like a me-sized version of Yang, with comparable strength. Ren and Blake were two pees in a pod. It was almost funny watching their interaction. I would have thought those two were the non-human ones if I didn't know any better.

"Hello," Ren started,

"Good to see you," Blake concluded.

Nora and Yang noticed the two's lack of communication and attempted to spur them on. At least Weiss and Pyrrha looked to be doing better, though not by much. Jaune and I could only look at each other and laugh. It was quite amusing to see our teams interact. We had sat near each other for a few meals that week, but it was mostly because Jaune or I would save each other a spot. Teams kept to themselves for the most part.

At least that was how things had looked so far.

But actually seeing our two teams get along in such a way, Jaune could all but voice my thoughts, "and apparently we're the awkward ones."

I snorted. "Who'd have thought that? Want to get sap together? As a big group, I mean."

Jaune frowned, eyes darting around. "Sure," he finally said, eyes settling on mine. "Things are better in numbers. Pyrrha told me that the sap attracts Grimm, so it's best not to get any on your clothes. Also, it stains really bad."

"Thanks for the warning. Hey guys! Let's start getting that sap!"

A small cheer erupted from the group, along with Nora's shouts of "and let's eat it all!"

Handing Weiss our jar, I got to work drilling a hole into a tree, humming a little tune to myself. It was easy work. Or, it was easy, as the process felt little like work, and more patience and strength control to keep from accidently pushing the drill straight through the trunk. I was very glad that Weiss didn't ask me what happened to my drill and allowed me to borrow hers.

The hole drilled and tap placed, Weiss went about filling our jar while I took the time to people watch. It was amazing how quickly the eight of us bonded. Nora's bubbly laughter filled the air as she and Yang tried to rile up their partners. I even thought I saw a hint of a smile perk on Blake's lips.

As soon as Ren finished with his jar, Nora took it from him and gulped down half of it, much to Ren's displeasure.

"Nora, what did I tell you about the sap?" Ren said, shaking his head.

"Take slower sips?" Nora tried. "Share?"

Ren nodded, pleased when she handed him the jar and allowed him to take a small sip of the purple sap.

Pyrrha was filling up her own jar as well, a few trees away, frowning.

"Hey Weiss, I'm going to check on Pyrrha for a minute." Weiss nodded and flicked her wrist at me, which I took as acquiescence.

"Hey Pyrrha," I said in a sing-song voice, skipping over to her.

"Oh, hello Ruby. How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm good. Hey, do you know where Jaune is? I haven't seen him in a little while."

Pyrrha tensed and pursed her lips.

"He should be around somewhere…" Pyrrha glanced around. "He has been quite busy lately. It's… most likely about a personal matter. Something that he has kept close to his chest until recently. It's not really my place to say, but I do wish he were here."

I tilted my head. "Is this about him faking his way into Beacon?"

"Shh! How do you know that?" Pyrrha spun towards me, dropping her half-filled jar onto the grass. Its contents slowly seeping out.

"Oh, oops. I promised Jaune I wasn't going to tell anyone that."

I watched as Pyrrha sighed and looked around, pulling me by my shoulder into a more secluded part of the forest.

"Jaune told me he faked his transcripts to enter into Beacon Academy. He told me just a little while ago actually."

"I made Jaune really angry and he sorta shouted it out at me," I shrugged. "I didn't really see what the big deal was, since I didn't get here the proper way either. I think it's just us that know though."

"Thank you for keeping it a secret. I know Jaune would hate for us to share his personal information with anyone else." Pyrrha placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad that he told someone else though. He has been acting… strangely these last few days."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not really sure. Just that he has been spending a lot of time away from the team, favouring time spent with Team CRDL."

My brows furrowed. That didn't sound like something Jaune would do. Cardin Winchester hated Jaune! He was a big meanie! And I felt like the feeling was mutual between the two. I told as much to Pyrrha, recounting what I had heard and seen after our sparring match the day before.

"I think we should trust him. As his friends, as well as, as my teammate, partner, and leader. And your fellow leader, of course."

I nodded at Pyrrha's words. They made sense in a way. Maybe it was one of those human things I read about in my book on how to make friends! I racked my brain for the words the book used.

_Contact is essential to becoming friends. While this does in some cases mean physical contact, the best form of contact is to be around the person. Have them grow accustomed to you being in their visual vicinity and engaging with them in minor conversations._

There's the devil! I knew I could remember it if I thought hard enough. And I should know, I read it over half a dozen times. Even Weiss commented on how invested I was in my work. Although she might have thought it was some history book for class and not one to relate to people.

Jaune must have read the same book too! I knew there had to be a reason why he was hanging around with somebody who hated him. It would only be a matter of time before Cardin would see how awesomely amazing Jaune was and then we'd all become besties! Like Team RWBY and Team JNPR were! Sort of. School hadn't been going on that long, but there was definitely a comradery between the eight of us. Or at least between me and Jaune and Yang and everyone else. But it was a start!

My incessant internal ramblings were cut off when I felt something shatter across my back. The force of it pushed me forwards, taking a small step to regain my balance.

"Hey are you okay?" Pyrrha asked, holding my shoulder gently. Her eyes widened when she looked behind me.

"Ya, I think so. What was that? Do I have something on my back?"

"It seems as though someone threw their jar of sap on you. I must apologize. I believe they may have been aiming for me, had you not stepped in front of me when you did, it would have been my body that is... sticky." She picked a shard of glass off of me. "Are you okay? Some of these look deep. I will go get a profess-"

I swiped a finger across my lower back, feeling the purple sap stick to it. Sucking the digit clean, I smiled. "Oh that tastes incredible!"

"I'm glad you are enjoying it?" Pyrrha asked, unsure of whether to be offended for me, or relieved I wasn't hurt.

"Do you hear that?" I turned towards an approaching noise.

It was like a faint buzzing. Almost like a zipper that was slowly approaching. No, the sound was quickly approaching. Definitely quickly approaching. Then I saw it! Them! Wasp-like grimm. What were they called, what were the called?

"Lancers!" Pyrrha shouted, pulling out her sword and shield.

The Lancers did not even turn to look at the invincible girl. All their attention was on me. Right, Grim Reaper thing.

"They must be attracted to the sap!"

Oh? A human thing too? Well, that's a nice change of pace at least.

"My sap!" I shouted at the grimm without meaning to. I blushed as they appeared through the treeline.

Not super nice though, as these tiny grimm creatures were still flying full-speed towards me, stingers at the ready. Only a second later, I pushed myself into high gear, activating my magic -semblance as the humans call it- and dashing away leaving behind a trail of rose petals appearing out of shadow. Unfurling my weapon, I struck one down, splitting the grimm bug in two.

That still left... only fifteen.

That wasn't so bad. I had Crescent Rose with me. Now, to pull in some shadows to confuse them and split up their basic formation. Then it would be a simple matter of slicing them up.

I paused to get my bearings, taking a deep breath to call upon my magic, preparing for what needed to be done.

"Don't just stand there, run!" Pyrrha called to me, blocking a Lancer's powerful stinger with her shield and slashing across it's bone plated abdomen.

"Right! I'll go find some help." I shouted back, rushing ahead once more. Darn humans and their lack of magic. Why couldn't everyone just have magic! Then another thought dawned on me.

Could a regular human fight off fifteen Lancers at once? Well, maybe not a regular human, but a huntress-in-training? Would it be weird if I just... swoosh, and sliced all of them in half? Could a fully trained huntsman do something like that? Argh! I really need to do some research before I try to act human! Welp, I guess there's always next time I try this.

And what about my... aura? Reaper aura? Raura? Was there really no name for our... thingies? Could a Lancer's stinger pierce aura? And even if it couldn't how many hits could a human take before their aura was gone? A hundred hits? two hundred? I gasped. Only fifty? No, now was not a time for questioning the basics of being a human. That would wait until later. All I needed to do was not get hit at all.

I ducked under a Lancer and threw myself out of the way of another.

That might take getting used to.

So, I listened to the strongest and smarty-est person around and ran like Pyrrha said. Advancing in the opposite direction. That's what Yang would have called it. Pff, retreating. What Reaper would retreat from a few measly, massive and massively aggressive grimm who were dead set on killing you and only you? Not me of course!

"Help!" I most assuredly did not scream as I zipped by the rest of team RWBY and JNPR -minus Jaune and Pyrrha- who were taking their time relaxing and sipping on extra collected sap. The thirteen remaining Lancers chasing me, with a panting Pyrrha chasing after them, was enough to rouse the group from their recreational rest.

Taking a sharp turn, I spun around, running passed my team. "Anybody see Jaune?" I breathed out to Yang as I went by.

"Not a pip from him. He's missing out on all the fun!"

Of course Yang would have fun at a time like this. Jumping over a rock and dancing my way through the quick stingers, I slashed up just narrowly missing my target's soft black flesh. The ringing of metal on bone echoed through the treeline, even over the loud buzzing of these bugs. Yes, I did it! I didn't slice it in half accidentally!

"Rubes! Bring them over here!" I complied to Yang's request, sliding underneath a Lancer and darting towards my human sister, her arm pulled back and a glint of excitement in her eyes. Lilac twinkled and gave me a wink as I sped by, her fist flying at me-like speeds.

Straight into the face of one of those annoying little brats! Immediately, it began to evaporate.

One more down, twelve to go.

"Hiyah!" Make that eleven, judging by the excited chattering of Nora, now wielding a hammer larger than she was. But who was I to talk, lugging around Crescent Rose.

I ran the bugs chasing me through a gauntlet of my teammates and colleagues. No, friends. Those who fight together are friends. Even if only for a short time. Fists and swords and guns tore through the heavily armoured grimm. Even I got in a slash or three! Pyrrha was being her awesome self, taking on four at once whenever I whizzed by. I would definitely have to ask her how to fight many strong opponents without her magic. So cool.

"Ruby look out!" I barreled head first into a tree. With a grunt, I fell, head pounding. Just one Lancer left. I could do it. I could take it on. Nothing too complicated, just a little burst of speed to get beside it and a single swing. I stood up.

Almost immediately, vertigo set in and I came crashing back down to the forest floor.

"Ugh, my head." I whined.

The lancer fell upon me. I saw the stinger in striking position, inching closer and closer. My hands reached up to defend my neck. I only had one thought in my mind at the time. Aw great. How was I going to explain this to my team? What was going to happen when I got pierced? Not only would it not kill or greatly injure me, it would probably get stuck. Like a tiny bee's stinger. Then I would have to tell them and then they'll get all scared of me and then I'll have to go hide again! No! Maybe I could come up with a really super perfect lie! Or just wipe their memories of the situation? No, mind wiping is plan B if the lie doesn't work.

Lie, lie. What's a good lie? My mind was blank, I had no ideas. None! This was it, the moment of truth, I shut my eyes tightly. I really hated needles.

But the pierce never came. I peered at the figure standing before me. Tall with a white chest plate and scraggly blond hair. Sword drawn in both hands as he pushed back against the Lancer's stinger.

"I've got you Ruby!" Jaune shouted, his voice filled with determination. "I'm not going to let my friends get hurt, no matter what!"

He wasn't talking to me. Maybe not even to himself. I glanced sideways. It was Cardin. Him and his teammates, all watching Jaune with surprised expressions. Huh, when did they get here?

I looked at Pyrrha, who was holding back Yang and Nora from joining in on the fight. I couldn't hear what she was telling them, but they both nodded and stopped struggling. Now all of us were just an audience for the leader of Team JNPR. Sword finally pushing back the stinger, giving himself enough room to draw his shield in his free hand.

The stinger came down again, now impacting the shield, while his sword arm thrust and cut. Hacking away at anything it could connect with.

"Stay away from my friend!" Jaune shouted in a cry of strength. One final thrust. At the same time, his shield arm moved up, blocking a last attempt strike from the Lancer. The sword impaled the Lancer. Its wings stopped beating and the buzzing I had almost grown accustomed to, ceased. The grimm fell and begun to disintegrate.

Jaune was breathing hard, his sword dropping beside him. Shaking his head, he turned to face Cardin, who stood at a distance. Jaune was angry. No, he was determined. Without even a glance at the rest of us, he stared down the guy. "Don't you ever dare do something like that to one of my friends again. Next time, it'll be you instead of the Lancer."

* * *

**Whoa boy, that was a crazy long chapter. And it also wraps up the entire Jaunedice arc of classic RWBY in one fell swoop! For those that know me or Reddit me, you'll know that I'm not a fan of this arc. When it came to writing it, I wanted to get it over with quickly. And so, one chapter, one arc. Heh. More like one Jaune Arc, am I right? *gets throat punched* I deserved that. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed it in any case. I changed it up a whole lot and seeing as this entire story is from Ruby's perspective and Ruby doesn't know everything that happens to everyone, everywhere around her, it allowed me to push most of Jaune being whiny into the background. Even without knowing what Jaune's talking about, I think the chapter should still make sense, so I'm proud of that (let me know how wrong I am). Also, I made myself a nice little cover! I have no talent at covers, so trusty MSPaint is back at it again!**

**Firewyrm2 #1- Ya, she was always going to make an appearance in this. After Ruby, Cinder was the second character I redesigned for this story. Don't worry, Ruby is still the central character in this. Rosegarden is fine, but knowing Oscar is going to be taken over/absorbed into Ozpin makes it a little creepy for me. I've always enjoyed Whiterose or Nuts&Dolts. A crack ship I've been enjoying is SunxRuby.**

**Firewyrm2 #2 - I think that it is a pretty unique idea that mixes together a couple really fun tropes. You do have to pretty very careful with something like that, as it will essentially involve a very OP character. Have you seen the anime 'Overlord'? I would recommend putting together a bunch of firm rules on how her powers work and stick to it. Whether you reveal to your audience these rules is up to you (I like making my readers guess what her powers are and how they work). As for Konosuba, I don't really remember much about it other than it being a comedy? From what little I remember, the characters are fairly under powered, so you should take that into account. Having a crazy powerful Ruby trying to balance what her angst and still be a good person can be fun to see. As both a hero/mysterious ally as well as villain. Good luck with the story! (And if you ever want to PM me about this, please feel free. I'd love to know more.)**

**Pleaseworkforonce - Thank you! The whole reason I'm doing this is to help improve my writing, so please always feel free to tell me my mistakes.**

**FN75 - Those are some pretty good guesses into Reaper powers. The real question is: how much of that is Cinder's power? And how much is it Ruby just not realizing what she herself is doing? (answer: some from one side, some from another) From that list in your guesses, there is only one actual mistake. As for Cinder, what was her goal in the show for the first few seasons? What has changed between the show canon and what she is? Sorry, but that's as close as I'm going to get to explaining Cinder until she makes her grand reappearance. As for what happened, it's sort of a soft magic scenario. There are a few hard rules which I refuse to explain because it might become important to a later arc. As for there is a hierarchy, think of it less as a true laddered style hierarchy and more of a... ascent into madness. I do know you will see some fun differences between Reapers, I just don't know if you will see them all in this story.**

**Alucard45 - Thanks a whole bunch for the very thorough review. It's really amazing to know what I need to work on and I will definitely be looking to improve. As for some of the things you mentioned. So far, you guys have only really seen some of the new baddies which have filled the world. There have been a few namedrops to different creatures which don't hold much significance, but that's it. The reason why nothing is really discussed is because this is normal life for them. I will make sure to bring up some more stuff in the future to help out in this regard. As for Salem and Ozpin... there is a bunch of stuff left to do for them. Your synergy idea is one which I am quite ashamed at myself for missing. I have a whole lot focused on Reapers and other creatures, but not all of them with each other. And now for Ruby. There is a whole lot regarding Ruby's backstory, even up to how long she's known the Xiao Longs for, that was intentionally not discussed. It's just my fault that it was written unintentionally poorly. It all comes down to the Reaper's powerset. It will be brought up again in the future, but a lot of the confusion regarding the Xiao Longs and going to Beacon will be explained in the story. And lastly (though what you mentioned first), I would like to preemptively apologize for this chapter.**

**JackTheSpades - Ya, I sort of realized that the Cinder chapter would get a mixed reaction. As for Maria, I thought about it for a moment, but then I wouldn't be able to call her the Reaper Reaper and then try to think up as many 'two' puns as possible. :P Or maybe just have her being a super old Reaper, who knows? Really, I wanted Cinder for the position for a few reasons. 1. As a Salemite, she is still technically 'working for' Salem. 2. Plot reasons. 3. If I brought in Maria, or Qrow or any elderly character friendly to Ruby, everyone would just expect them to be her ally. But with Cinder, nobody knows for sure what is going on in her head (well, I do. But not everything atm). As for scary Ruby, I gave it my best shot. I'm hoping you will enjoy the Spoopy Arc when it comes around.**

**Alank2 - Thank you for sticking with this story! Let me tell you, I have a lot planned (and even more unplanned) for this story so I hope I continue to write and improve this.**

**Anyways, see you all again real soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Now for a bit of a lighter chapter.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 11**

* * *

"Jaune, you... killed that grimm for me. Why did you risk your life for a-for me?" Yang and Blake held me up. The world was spinning around me and my head was pulsing, but otherwise I was alright.

More than alright.

I was safe. There would be no strange and digging questions asked of me. Now only I had questions. Or just the one. A question which meant the world to me. Jaune could only shrug his shoulders.

"Because you're my friend. My first real friend and probably my best friend. You'd have done the same for me."

I wasn't sure if he was right, but I knew in my heart that I hoped it was. If anything, I would make sure that I Reaped his soul. He deserved nothing less. I looked around at all of them. Blake and Yang, with my arms over their shoulders and theirs around my waist, looking at me with worried expressions. I remembered mom with that same expression.

Nora and Ren were standing the furthest from us, but their path was directly between us and team CRDL. Their weapons were still drawn. Nora looked like a momma bear watching over her young. Ren, an impassable wall. Pyrrha had already left, following Jaune's instructions to go find Professor Goodwitch. Weiss was all over me, checking for any bumps or bruises. Her lips tight and eyes squinting, checking for anything. She didn't even utter a word of hostility. No condemnations or harsh criticisms or bitter complaints. Just silent work to make sure I wasn't hurt.

And Jaune.

Jaune was his normal self. Maybe a little embarrassed from my intense gaze on him. There was nothing there. No fear for his own safety, nor any hate towards me for putting him in that situation. He had no idea what I was. None of them did. Yet at that moment, it didn't matter to me. I wasn't Ruby the Reaper, hiding among humans. I was Ruby the Reaper, surrounded by friends. I felt my cheeks heat up, but it wasn't embarrassment. At least I don't think it was. Just gratitude. Gratitude for something I hadn't even realized I'd been missing for so many years.

Not since... No. it wasn't even worth thinking about at a time like this. This was a time for happy Ruby.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem. Just remember that if I ever need to borrow your notes."

I chuckled and lightly punched Jaune's shoulder. "Definitely."

"Now that all the doom and gloom is done, I think now calls for a pancake party!" Nora waved her war hammer over her head, smiling with glee.

"A pancake party?" I questioned.

Nora looked shocked by my confusions. "You've never had a pancake party?"

Her gaze quickly flicked from me to Yang and then through the rest of us, her eyes growing wider and expression dropping with each confused look she saw. She let out a loud wale, gripping onto Ren's shoulder for support.

"Ren! These poor, poor people! None of them have ever had a pancake party. You know what? This doubly calls for a pancake party! Ren, you're on pancake duty. Jaune, I want you to find the best movies ever. Everyone else, bring your tushes and any snacks you can find to our room tonight."

"You can't just tell people to come to our room. You need to invite them," Ren said in his normal delicate voice.

"Isn't that what I just did? And how could they say no! We're having pancakes!"

"The world doesn't revolve around pancakes Nora."

"That's what a non-believer would say!"

I giggled at Nora's and Ren's antics, thoroughly enjoying the banter between those two close friends. It felt perfect.

"I think that's a great idea, Nora. I'll bring the cookies," Yang said.

"Is everyone alright?" Came a worried professor Goodwitch marching towards us with a riding crop at the ready.

There were a few nods around me. Nora was shaking her head no, mind undoubtedly still on the topic of pancakes, until Ren nudged her.

"We're all good, teach." Yang said, her grip a little tighter on my torso than just a moment ago. "We had a run in with some Grimm, but everyone made it out okay. Rubes is just a little shook, but that's more because she ran into a tree than was hit by those bugs. Any scratches Rubiroo?"

"She has no cuts, bruises or scratches on her, from my initial look through," Weiss answered instead. "I would still recommend her spending some time in the medical wing. Her aura most likely took a beating as well."

"You do know I'm right here," I groaned, as Weiss spoke about me to Yang and Professor Goodwitch.

"Shush now, the adults are speaking." Weiss replied.

"Hey! I'm you're leader. I can... I can make you do my homework."

"No you can't."

"Well, I can make you do something. And it'll be terrible! Once I think of it."

I will take away her strawberries! No, I will force her to sit down and watch me eat her strawberries.

"If it's taking away my strawberry privileges, know that I rarely eat those. If ever." Weiss crossed her arms with a slight smirk.

Her semblance must also be mind reading.

"I am glad to hear that you are alright, Miss Rose. As well as the rest of you. Know that I will be looking into this matter. There will most definitely be a full investigation into what has transpired here today. Lancers are not common in this forest." The professor gave us all a short glare before turning away, beckoning us all to follow her back to the bullhead.

Airships were still super cool. Even if this was maybe my third time on a bullhead ever, it was still very cool. Or as prissy-pants would say, 'delightfully fascinating'. The whirring engine, the slight back and forth rocking motion as it swam through the clouds, and who could forget the view. It was so pretty!

If I had human emotions in my Reaper form, there would so many missed Reapings. The sky was bright and the trees and buildings below were tiny. Even the people, as we flew over Vale, were like ants, scuttling around from place to place. Doing whatever people do when they don't have school. Probably eating and using the bathroom. People did a lot of that, right?

And there was just so many of them! They moved so quickly, rushing into and out of buildings and with their cars and buses and trains. It was like they all knew where they wanted to go and they just wanted to be there NOW! I couldn't blame them. If I was going to die at any moment I would probably want to do stuff pretty quickly too. Did they ever stop to smell the roses? Or plan things for the future? I knew I wanted to avenge my mother, but that was something I could do in a few decades.

No wait, how long did humans live for again? Eighty to ninety years usually? That only gave me... forty years? Maybe fifty years to find him and give him a piece of my mind. That wasn't a lot of time. And I still didn't know what I wanted to do to him yet!

I brushed off something poking my shoulder.

Where was I? Oh right, tiny humans and their super fast vehicles. What was it like to drive in a super fast car? Or maybe a motorcycle. Yang had a motorcycle back in Patch, I think. Had she ever let me ride on it? I honestly couldn't remember if she had that memory or not. Whatever, I would just need to ask her for a lift and she'll remind me. Or just say yes and we can make a real memory to think back on in the future.

I brushed my shoulder again.

Darn that bug. Doesn't it know when Reapers need time to think?

"Ruby..." The bug poked at me again.

Wait.

"Ruby?" I looked over at Yang, who was staring at me mid-poke. "Everything good in that head of yours?"

"Ya, just stuck in my thoughts."

"Anything you want to talk about with me?" Her voice held her concern. It was quite touching.

"It wasn't anything important. Just thinking about driving your motorcycle."

"Never gonna happen Rubes," Yang smirked. "But, I will gladly give you another ride."

"Thanks Yang."

"Now that little miss red riding hood is back in the land of the living, can we get back to party planning?" Nora said much too loudly.

Nora continued speaking about this and that, nothing really keeping my attention. She did mention strawberries once or twice, which I had to make sure was going to be at the party, but the rest pretty much washed right over me.

Strawberries? Sure. Love them.

Pancakes? Ren's made them for Nora almost every day since I met them. I even tried one when Ren forced her to share.

Hot Cocoa? I don't know why anybody would heat up and munch on bitter cocoa leaves, but huntsmen were always weird like that. Maybe it was like coffee. I bet I could sneak in a whole lot of sugar without Weiss noticing.

Cookies? Candy bars? Popcorn? What were these things! Popcorn at least makes some sense. Corn that's popped. Easy peasy. Corn was alright, but it was sort of hard to chew. Why was it party food? There was so much freaking food. Was this all humans did? Restaurants and the cafeteria and kitchens in their own houses. All for making food. Would it not be easier just to find a berry bush or apple tree? How often did humans need to eat?

Well, Yang and the rest of the team always went for breakfast together. Then there was that free period in the middle of the day where we all hung out at the cafeteria. Hey, they did always seem to have food then as well. And then was dinner. Great, now I'm going to need to research why people eat so much.

Or maybe that was just me.

* * *

"Oh my heavens. What are these divine creations?"

"Erm, they're just cookies Rubes."

"Cookies are incredible!"

Why was everyone laughing? How could they not tell me about these things! No wonder humans ate so much. This stuff was amazing. How did I live so long without knowing about these? If I had known, I would have joined the human world years ago.

"Whoa, girl. Slow down," Yang said, patting my back as I wolfed down another cookie. "You hardly ever eat during lunch or dinner with us anyways. Don't want to ruin your tiny appetite with sugar."

"Well, that's about to change. Ruby Rose is going to be joining you in eating food!"

"Hooray? Seriously Rubes, you alright? You're acting like you've never had cookies before."

Oh, right. I guess I'll need a little peak into her memories later tonight to refresh my own. So instead, I shovelled another handful of those delicious things into my mouth and said, "so 'ummy."

Yang gave me a strange look, shaking her head, she chortled. "Ruby, you're such a dork."

"And stop hogging the cookies! Mama needs some sugar!" Nora shouted, grabbing for the tray in my lap.

I hissed.

"Did you just hiss at Nora?" Blake asked.

"No. No I did not."

I hissed again when she made a move for my cookies.

This was kind of fun. Just all of us sitting here in the JNPR dorm room. Ren had come in with a heaping plate of steaming hot pancakes, which earned shouts of thanks from everyone; Nora especially loud. Jaune and Yang were playing some sort of video game on their scrolls, Weiss and Pyrrha were chatting amicably about something and Blake was leaning against a bed with a book and a smile.

This was really nice. Something I would gladly do again.

"Pause that game. It's time for the moment you have all been waiting for."

"Pancakes?" I guessed.

Nora had to think for a moment. "Well, that too. But I'm talking about team bonding! We've known each other for what, two weeks now? Maybe three? Besides Renny and me knowing each other forever and coming to Beacon together -but not together together- and of course Ruby and Yang being sisters, what else do we know about each other?"

"Well, we all found out that Ruby is a glutton for cookies." Yang joked, earning a laugh from the rest of the group and a groan from me.

"Thank you Yang, perfect example." Nora said, pleased. "Ooh, I know. I can tell you all about my super important dream!"

"Please don't." Jaune begged, to which Nora brushed him off with a flick of a pancake.

"So there I was. Surrounded by Grimm of every kind."

"They were nevermore." Ren corrected

"A thousand nevermore!"

"There were three nevermore."

"Huh, three nevermore." Yang said, tapping her chin in amazement. "Strange. It always seems to be three. How come there are never more?"

The room was silent for a moment.

"Yang, you may be my partner, but I'll have no regrets about slapping that grin off your face."

"Shut up Blakey, you know you loved it. Sis, back me up here."

"Blake, I give you permission to slap that grin off my sister's face."

"Hey!"

The group laughed at Yang's expense. This was so amazing. Pancakes, a plate of cookies and these people around me. These...

"Friends."

"What was that Rubes?" Yang's attention turned back to me, a smile still plastered on her face.

"You guys are all my friends. I-I just wanted to thank all of you for that. I've been alone - I mean, lonely, for so long. It's... just really nice."

"Aw, shucks. You know what this calls for?"

"Group hug!" Nora shouted, pouncing on Ren and Pyrrha, wrapping an arm over their shoulders and pulling them towards me.

I smiled and laughed as they fell on top of me, quickly followed by Yang, pulling Blake and Weiss down. I felt Jaune's hand on my own and I gave it a friendly squeeze. Who would have thought that a Grim Reaper would be friends with a pack of teen-aged humans?

I hoped things would never have to change.

* * *

**I hope so too Ruby. I hope so too.**

**Alucard45 - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm still not super confident with it all so I may go back to do an edit of it, but who knows. I still have the rest of this story left to write first. And I will be looking forward to your essay of critiques!**

**Firewyrm2 - Are you caught up with the show? I'm fine with however it goes. I do hope Ruby remains single throughout the whole thing. Having her paired off with Oscar is weird to me and the idea that she ends up with Jaune is very cliche (main-girl with main-guy). If RT can make bumblebee work, then good on them. If not, then that's fine too. I just want Ruby and Blake to (meaningfully) interact at least once before the show ends!**

**Guest - Be afraid. Be very afraid. The P stands for pain! Or panic. Or pedantry. haven't decided yet.**

**Oh, I should probably mention this. From December 20 onwards until early January, this story will be going on hiatus. No, not the 'I super promise I will be back and then never return' type of hiatus. I will be going on vacation and will most likely have next to no internet connection so I couldn't even post if I wanted to. I will however, continue to write so you guys will have plenty more when I come back. That means, it is sad to say, that this will be the final chapter I post until January. Which is sort of a great coincidence as this completely wraps up this section of the story before we start getting into the more fun bits! I will see you all soon and have an amazing Hannukah/Christmas/break!**


	12. Chapter 12

**One more for you lot. This one takes place two weeks after the last chapter. I hope you all had an amazing break and I'm so glad to be back.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"Please settle down everyone. Settle down. Yes, Mr. Lark, I do include you in that statement!"

The class's attention turned slowly from the usual morning chatter to the wily green-haired professor -doctor, I meant-. He was tapping on the desk, which he was leaning on, his hand subconsciously moving towards the steaming mug of coffee just out of reach. I wonder how many sugars he puts into it.

Apparently putting in twenty-three was too much. I shot off a glare at Weiss who frowned in confusion before nodding towards the teacher for me to focus once more. Five sugars maximum, my butt.

"I apologize for the classroom. I know it is a little stuffy in here, but the headmaster has assured me that the thermostat will be fixed by next class."

I shrugged. Room felt normal to me. Must be all that coffee he drinks. Drinking hot coffee did warm me up quite a bit too. Heat's awesome.

"And today we move away from the basics of modern history and look backwards in time. A century and a half back in fact, and to the Faunus Wars. Can anybody give me the three most commonly discussed reasons as to why the wars had started? Yes, Ms. Schnee?"

"It was directly due to what the Faunus considered to be inhumane treatment during the Great War a decade prior."

"Quite right Ms. Schnee. Quite right. Faunus were treated most terribly after the war. Dreadful, most dreadful indeed." Professor -doctor- Oobleck took a swig from his mug and gestured in the direction of a few raised hands.

"Mantel's refusal to change the designation of Faunus to human from that of Chimera."

"Indeed, Ms. Nikos. Mantel, even after having lost the Great War, refused the growing call to relabel Faunus. Mantel argued that Chimera were classified as creatures whom possessed the characteristics of two animal species. As Faunus possess features from animals, they would technically fit into this category. It was not until after the Faunus wars did Faunus truly gain so-called 'humanship' under the law, but the definition of Chimeras too were changed in order to more clearly specify the differences. And last, but not least? Mr. Ren?"

"The discovery of dust in Menagerie."

"Yes! Nothing is more prized on this planet than dust. Perfect transition to today's lecture! Open your books to page ninety-four and follow along."

And with that helpful instruction, absolutely nobody opened their textbooks, instead opting to take out pen and paper. I had made the mistake of trying to follow along in the textbook as well as take notes during my first class with him. I shuddered. Never again. I doubted anything mortal or Salemite could keep up with the professor's pace.

"The fourth day of the second month of the year ought-fifty-three of the new calendar, dust was discovered in Menageries after an area was cleared of a witch's coven by the Faunus settlers. News spread quickly of it being quite a large find and suddenly every kingdom wished to renege on their deal to grant the land to Faunus refugees. Five months later, Vale was the first to claim territory in Menagerie, followed swiftly by Mistral…"

As the professor spoke, his pace increased. It was as if the sheer act of speaking was allowing him to talk faster. My pen was furious along my notebook as I tried to keep up with what the professor was saying. Something about a mining attempt in the summer? Or was that the season when the first Mantel troops landed. Was General Baeumont a Faunus commander or did he command the Faunus? What was that about a mommy in an old temple?

I raised my hand. At once the professor paused. The entire class breathed a sigh of relief, many glancing in my direction as if to thank me.

"Yes, Ms. Rose?"

"Why would a mother attack faunus hiding in a temple?"

"I beg your pardon?" Professor Oobleck sped towards me.

"W-well, you said that a mommy attacked those faunus. I was wondering why?"

My question asked, I could feel the silence in the room. If silence had an echo, it would sound like a beating heart. Wait, was that mine? A hand on my chest proved it to be true.

Cool! Ancient vampire souls were awesome. Why hadn't I noticed that until now?

Suddenly, the class erupted into fits of laughter. The professor -doctor- attempted to quiet down the class. "Settle down!" He shouted above the racket.

Weiss turned to me and slapped me gently on the shoulder, scowling. "Mummy, dolt! Not mommy."

I blinked in confusion. "What's the difference?"

Weiss twitched.

"You know what? I think I have had enough Ruby Rose for one day. Blake? Yang? Please inform the good doctor that I have been coming down with something and will be visiting the nurse for headache medication."

"Hey! What did I do?" I called out to her as she grabbed her books and bag and left the classroom.

Yang slapped me on my shoulder, laughing. "I can't believe it Rubes! You got the ice princess to ditch class. Blake, I think I won that bet."

Blake, who had hardly paid any attention during the entire lecture, and less so during the rowdy behaviour caused by whatever I had said, was calmly reading a book. "If I recall, the bet was that you would be able to get her to skip class."

"And I taught Ruby everything she knows!" Yang beamed proudly.

"I think that was all on Ruby."

Yang slumped in her chair, chuckling to herself. Something about a partner and not understanding little siblings? I didn't know. But before I could ask, Oobleck had finally managed to calm down the class to a respectable level. He turned to face me, exasperated about something.

"Mummies, Ms. Rose are the undead creatures native to Vacuo and Menagerie. Identifiable by their cloth wrappings. They are what we in Vale, call zombies."

"If they're zombies, but with clothes, why not just call them zombies?"

"History, Ms. Rose. History. The term mummy was used to classify all undead beings in ancient Vacuo. As the custom there was to drain the fluids from the body and wrap the corpse with cloth, the term joined common vernacular to signify the undead from this region. They are no different than zombies. It is just common to classify those undead beings from Vacuo and Menagerie, or really, any cloth covered undead as a mummy. It also helps to identify the time period in which said undead was raised, but that is a lecture I had planned for near to the end of the semester as it will be on your final examinations."

That little fact brought a groan from the class.

"Now, back to the Faunus Wars. If I remember my history correctly, and I most definitely do, we were just discussing a crucial battle in the war. One which saw, for the first and only time in the conflict, faunus revolutionists and the combined forces of Vale, Atlas and Mistral all join together to fight a common enemy. It is in my professional opinion, as well as the opinion of Dr. Merigold Deliei who wrote the very textbooks you hold before you, that this was the most significant battle of the entire war. One in which all people put aside their differences in appearance and fought together. It allowed a better understanding by the human soldiers of their faunus brethren and to see that they were indeed more human than chimera."

Doctor Oobleck paused, clicking on his scroll to open up a picture of an old, dusty map, on the screen behind him. At the center was a large black oval, with dashed lines surrounding it. Some of the lines, random to my eyes had crosses on them. Inside the oval were three rectangles. All connected together so they looked like the outline to a castle. Maybe even a keep.

"The battlefield is the plains of Araguba in Menagerie. In the year aught-fifty-six, just two hours after the major victory by the faunus under the command of general Lapin Heyz, an attack took place by a herd of Reapers. The battlefield was filled with the cries of the dying, which summoned the herd."

Herd?

Herd!

Humans called a group of Reapers a herd! How… how dare they! That made us sound like sheep or cows. We are definitely not sheep or cows. If we were an animal, we would be crows! They are black and appear with death as well. What did they call a group of crows? A murder of crows! Wait. On second thought, maybe a herd was better.

How about a gaggle. A gaggle of Reapers sounds good. Not scary at all! It didn't have the same first letter though. Those names were always the best. Blake Belladonna. Good name. Ruby Rose. Incredible super-mega-awesome name! Yang Xiao-Long? Eh… it was alright. A few points for having a fake sister named Ruby Rose. A romp of Reapers? No, that was a bit too weird. How about a rout of Reapers. Better but not quite…

My train of thought was broken as the class gasped. I looked around the room, trying to pick up on what had just been revealed. I turned to Blake, who still was holding her book, but her gaze was peering overtop, transfixed on the professor. Yang was the same, minus the book part.

"And so, General Lapin selected a group of their fastest runners. Runners from all walks of life, to leave while he and the remaining survivors did what they could to stall the Reapers and keep them from continuing their rampage. The information they carried with them is some of the first confirmed and completely factual information we have on the creatures, and luckily it also contained a method to kill them.

"General Lapin and the dying five hundred, did exactly that. A month later, a ceasefire was called in order to check on the remains of the armies of the faunus and outside forces that fought in Araguba. Menagerie still has that land off limits and no expansion is done in the region to this day. Of course, teams of expert huntsmen are sent there often to try and find the Reaper nest that is there, but as of now there has been no luck. Do not fret! If it is not done in my generation or yours, then it shall be done in your children's or children's children's.

"Remember this piece of history students. Not only for your upcoming test, but also for your life. Good day to you all! Please read the next chapters all on this battle! And Ms. Rose, please brush up on the fundamentals! Class dismissed."

Chairs squeaked against the floor and books were slammed shut as the regular sounds of teenagers picked up once more. I followed alongside everyone else, but something about the professor's story was bothering me. Why was there even a riot of Reapers in the first place?

"Enjoy the lecture Rubes? You're zoning out." Yang nudged me.

"No, just thinking. About Reapers. Why was there even a rag of- I mean herd of Reapers there? Reapers are solitary beings."

Yang snorted. "Dreaming up facts again? Heh, I don't know where you're pulling that information out from. Must be the lack of lunch. Don't worry sweet baby-cakes. Momma Xiao-Long will get you your daily dose of cookies. Can't have you making things up and confusing me before tests, now can I?"

She bumped into me again with a friendly elbow.

Ow, note to self. Again. Yang has hard elbows.

"Gods, Ruby. It's like you don't know the basic facts about salemites. First with the whole mummy-mommy fiasco and now with basic Reaper knowledge? This is information you should have learned from your tutors ages ago." Weiss scoffed.

"Tutors?" I asked.

"Tutors?" Blake repeated.

"Pff. The ice-princess had tutors," Yang tried to hold back a smirk.

Weiss glared at all of us. "It is not my fault that I come from a well to do family. It is unsafe for someone as rich as I to attend ordinary schools. Especially with those riffraff in the white fang attacking and thieving, left, right and center."

"The white fang are not riffraff!" Blake scowled. "Yes some of their practices aren't the best, but they're just a group of faunus who are trying to make life better for their kind!"

"Well, I will have you know that they are nothing more than scum!" Weiss threw back, her glare increasing and now wholly focused on Blake. Should I be grateful that she wasn't glaring at me anymore? Or ashamed that her glare scared me so much. I decided on both.

"I will have you know that those terrorists have attacked my family and the Schnee name! And as the person among the four of us with no doubt the most experience dealing with said trash, I believe I know how best to refer to them."

Blake growled in anger, fists clenched.

"Hey guys!" I butt in, stepping between the two increasingly aggressive teammates of mine. "We're all friends here. Why don't we all go get a snack and put this whole thing behind us until we have clear heads and filled bellies? You never know when you can't taste food again?"

"Huh?"

"I mean when you can't taste food again… because you won't have any! Cookies. I miss cookies. Blake, Weiss. I'm using my superpowers as team leader to put a stop to this fight and go get cookies!"

"Heh, being team leader doesn't give you superpowers, Rubes." Yang laughed.

But, as both Weiss and Blake gave each other a final glare and turned towards the cafeteria in silence, I gave my sister an innocent little whistle. "Not a superpower you say?" I asked in the most loving voice I could muster.

To say that our snack in the cafeteria was tense, would be an understatement.

Was it possible for two people to both stare at each other and refuse to meet each other's eyes at the same time? Because until just now, I thought it was impossible. Yet Blake and Weiss were doing a pretty darn good job at doing just that.

I scarfed down another cookie -oatmeal chocolate chip, only the second best cookie ever to be eaten, behind triple chocolate ooey gooey fudge cookies- and glanced between the two of them. I washed down the cookie with a glass of orange juice. Yang was enjoying her meal at least. Blake had barely touched her salad, and Weiss, her oatmeal.

"Hey guys?" I nearly whispered. I shrank as their attention turned to me.

"What do you want Ruby."

"Can... If you guys don't want to eat, can I have your food?"

Yang snorted. Blake pushed her salad to me and got up to leave. "Just take it, I think I need five minutes away from the faunus hater."

"I do not hate faunus!" Weiss shouted back at her, shaking her fist at the raven-haired girl as she left the cafeteria. Turning back to the table, Weiss sank onto her folded arms. "I don't. I just can't stand the White Fang for what they did to me and my family. And my father's company too..."

"Hey, don't sweat it. Blake's just in a mood or something. Give her some alone time to read or something and I promise you it'll all blow over nice and easy." Yang winked.

"I don't know. I think one of us should go talk to her," I chimed in, tapping my chin and digging through the salad to find the last hard bread thing -crouton-.

"Perfect! Rubes, you go take care of my partner and I'll take care of yours."

"What?!" I stumbled in surprise. "Bu-but she's your partner. Why don't you deal with her!"

"She's your teammate. And you're the team leader. Don't you have team leader superpowers? This should be a piece of cake for you! Don't worry, I'll be right here when you get back. Or in the gym. Maybe in Team JNPR's room if Nora still wants to arm wrestle. you know what? Once your done with Blake, just come and find me. I'll be around campus."

"No you don't. You are the only one of us behind in our homework. If you're staying with me, that is exactly what you will be doing."

I smirked at Yang and slowly got up to leave. Even as she pleaded with me. That's what she gets for not finding school fascinating!

"Bye Yang and Weiss! Don't have too much fun without me."

And I was off. On my way to Blake. Classes were over. That meant she was in only one of three places. Either back in the dorm, reading. Or in the library, reading. Or on the roof of the library, reading. That meant visiting the library was the best option.

I waved to the attendee as I entered. She smiled and gave a polite wave back. She looked so cozy with her steaming hot tea and thick sweater.

"Remember to return those books of yours when you're through with them." She commented, helpfully.

I smiled. "Of course! If you can find any more on human behaviour and people, that you think I'll like, can you save them for me?"

"Of course dear. It is always nice to see such an intelligent young huntress take interest in something other than killing salemites or their coursework. Always good to broaden your interests, I always say."

"Thanks. I'll get those books back for you tomorrow. Hey, do you know where Blake is?"

"Miss Belladonna is currently in isle forty-two. The romantic fiction section."

"Thank you!"

Such a pleasant old lady. Still pretty spry though. No fear of Reaping her anytime soon. I wondered how long, though... Wow, who knew I would want to use my magic in public? I must be going crazy. I probably still had some time before the effects started showing. But, enough about that. I had to find Blake or die trying.

I giggled. Die trying. Nice one Ruby.

Blake was exactly where the attendant said she would be, tucked into a corner, book in hand. She had a frown. Probably still annoyed about whatever she and Weiss were arguing about. I gently knocked on the bookshelf to grab her attention. She nodded, eyes not leaving her book.

"I'm not going to apologize to Weiss. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

I shrugged, "half the time, neither do I."

There was that tiny smirk I was coming to know and love. Placing the book down gently beside her, she turned to face me. "You drew the short straw, huh."

"Yang said it was a team leader's duty to handle these sorts of things. I don't know, do you need help with anything?"

"No, I'm fine." Blake shook her head.

"Well, I guess my job's done." I slid down beside her, shimmying around so my cloak wasn't stuck under my butt.

Less than a minute of silence passed and I could already feel Blake squirming.

"It's just..." She began, "it's just the White Fang aren't all terrorists who just enjoy killing or stealing. That's not even close to most of us-them. Most are just regular people who were hurt by humans and want to stick up for themselves. Equal and fair treatment under the law, you know?"

I nodded. Seemed like the right thing to do. I let her take her time speaking, she looked like she had a lot to say.

"You heard in Oobleck's class today. Faunus were classified as chimera. We had to fight to be recognized as people instead of monsters. Who's to say the White Fang are completely wrong? If we could fight to become people, maybe we could fight to be equal as well?"

Blake stared at her feet for a few moments.

"Most of us just want protection."

Okay, made sense. Humans stuck together because when they were alone, they more often than not, died.

"It makes sense to me. You just wanted people to help you out. So you wouldn't feel so alone. I felt the same when my mom was killed. If I could have just joined a group to stop other- other people from dying, I would."

"You're a huntress in training, Ruby. You did join a group."

I half-chuckled, "maybe."

"Wait."

"What it is?" I turned to look at Blake's eyes. Why did she look so... scared?

"I've been saying us and we. How aren't you shocked that I'm a-" Blake glanced around, making sure no one was nearby. Even so, she still whispered the next part, "a faunus. An ex-White Fang."

"You're ex-White Fang?"

"Sshh!" Blake rushed to cover my mouth. "Did you not pick that up from what I said? How can you not... hate me? Or run away in disgust? Or, well, anything really?"

I shrugged. "What you said made sense."

"And what about lying about being human?"

"Blake, you are human."

"I meant about actually being a faunus."

"Was that an issue?"

Blake slapped her forehead with her palm. "I lied! I lied to you, and Yang and-and even Weiss! I was a terrorist; a villain, for crying out loud! Oh hell, Weiss is going to hate me. She might be a racist jerk, but she is still... a team mate. And how are you so calm about this whole thing?"

"You're human. You live, you breath and eventually you die. And most of all, you feel. Humans can experience the world around them like nothing else. Taste, touch, sight. Grimm can't do that. Having animal ears or a tail doesn't change that fact. It never will. And you're no villain. I know villains. Since coming to Beacon, I think I understand huntsmen's take on villains a lot better. And if you're a villain, then I'm one too."

I stared at Blake. Like, really stared. She was crying. But, also smiling? My books didn't cover this! What was this happy-sad emotion. I jumped, realizing Blake had squeezed my shoulder gently.

"Thanks Ruby. You really are a great team leader. Would you mind... keeping this a secret for me? At least for a little while. I know you don't like keeping things from your sister, but it'll just be for a little while?"

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

With Blake finally calmer and.. cry smiling -boy, that was weird to see- I left the library. As soon as I left the building I stopped and cursed myself. Damn! that would have been the perfect time to discuss sneaking into the restricted section to get my Reaper books! Bad Reaper. Bad, bad forgetful Reaper. No cookies for you. Okay, maybe one cookie. I did manage to help Blake out and find out what caused the whole argument with Weiss.

It was much later than I had realized, Blake and me must have been talking for quite a long time. There were a few older kids still walking around. Most had on their long sleeve shirts, or thicker sweaters. Huh, I was just wearing my normal outfit and it all felt fine to me. Must be my cloak. Warmer under it than I thought. That made sense, right?

I opened the door to team RWBY's room, "-all the hot water. Oh, hey sis. How was Blake?" Yang turned from a fuming Weiss, to look at me with a cheerful smile.

"Blake's doing much better. We talked and everything is good. You owe me a mountain of cookies though."

Yang shrugged. "Fine. Hey, Rubes. You look like you could use a shower."

Why was she grinning like that. I did not like that look of hers.

"I think I'll be fine for now."

"No Ruby, I insist. Weiss, don't you think Ruby should take a shower?"

"Please leave me out of your imbecilic nonsense. I have homework to complete." Weiss refused to even give us a glare.

"You heard the lady, get into the shower." Yang said, all but pushing me into the washroom.

"Hey- Yang! Stop- alright fine!" With a final smile of victory, Yang winked and closed the door, allowing me some privacy.

What did that blonde girl do to the shower... After a few minutes of inspection, checking the taps and the shower-head and the drain for anything, it all looked clean. Strange. I turned the knobs, letting loose a pleasant stream of water. Removing my clothes, I stepped in, feeling the water pound into me like a pleasant massage. After a few minutes under the water, I turned it off and stepped out, drying myself with the fluffy pink towel I had brought with me from the Xiao Long home. No wonder humans enjoyed showers, they are so relaxing.

Stepping out into the room, Yang was giving me a strange look. Actually, so was Weiss. "Huh? Is there something in my hair?"

"Was the shower not cold to you?" Yang questioned, giving me a look over.

"The buffoon used up all the hot water. I don't know how you didn't scream or anything. It's freezing." Weiss looked nearly as bewildered as Yang.

"I.. uh... I was hoping for a cold shower. Relaxes the muscles you know? Well, goodnight!"

I rushed, changing into my pajamas and scurrying up into my bed. I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding wildly.

The cold water. The sweaters outside. Oobleck's hot, stuffy classroom. I hadn't felt any of it. Not a speck of heat nor the cold.

"Oh no." I whispered.

The vampire soul was wearing off.

* * *

**A lot has happened this chapter. This is mainly due to Oobleck's class being shorter than I expected (thanks to an idea popping up mid-me-writing-the-chapter). So really, it's combining two chapter ideas together. For me, that means writing a little more. For you, an extra long chapter!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Yes, a change of pace was definitely needed last chapter. Super happy I decided to add that one in.**

**Halo29 - Thanks! Vacation was amazing.**

**FN75 - "Things are about to take a turn for the worse," *Devilish chuckling* Who can say?**

**Kuroyami - I just enjoy writing less-than-subtle sneaky Ozpin**

**Firewyrm2 - It's a nice idea for a story, but it's too similar an idea to this to be interesting for me to write. Maybe you should give it a try? See how it turns out.**

**Alucard45 - My dear, you are stuck with me for a little bit longer! To your first point, I will be touching on that sometime in the later future. Though things like eating less wouldn't be too weird, but the not knowing about certain foods? Yes, that is indeed weird. For your second point, yes it definitely is dark (I can't wait to show you how it works). And as for your question: why indeed? Some of it is spoilers, some of it, is just the story wouldn't exist or be boring if that were the case. **

**And over 200 of you crazy people have been following this story! That blows my mind. You guys know what that means, right? I will see you all on Thursday for your super special happy bonus chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Once more into the fray.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 13**

* * *

There was no darn way I would be getting any sleep tonight. No way at all. Just knowing that I couldn't sense heat anymore, it was really getting to me. Even the blanket I had cocooned myself in, there was something missing. I still felt the thick fabric around me. The fibers brushing softly against my skin, but there was no warmth to it. It just felt... there. Not uncomfortable, but not comfortable either. There was pressure, and nothing else. I ducked myself into the blanket cocoon, shrouding myself in even more darkness. This could not be happening. Why now? I was just starting to get a handle on being human. I even found out what humans did in bathrooms! Why they would sit on a water-filled bowl was another question entirely, but that's what they did!

My heart was pounding dangerously fast in my chest. This was not good at all. First they will discover I'm not human. Then I'll be revealed as a Reaper. And everyone will be scared of me and next thing I know, I'm missing my head just like mom. Should I flee now? Yes, running away works. It worked in Atlas, it can work here. I know it will. Just need to pack up my cookies and hairbrush. No, eat the cookies now before I can't taste things anymore. Just bring the hairbrush.

I slapped myself in the cheek, forcing myself to calm down with the stinging pain.

Okay, that was good at least. I still felt the heat radiating from my skin. That meant the vampire's soul was only starting to wear off. I still had time. Not a huge amount of time, but time. Six weeks, seven if I was lucky. What did mom say happened when a soul wears off completely? I racked my brain for the answer. Darn, this was so much more nerve-wracking than when it happened to me out alone in the forest.

"First, heat from the sun shining bright, then the colours of reflected light. The skin feels clammy, the days wash away. Everything taste yucky, souls come out to play." I repeated the familiar jingle under my breath.

Temperature was the first sense to go. I knew that well. I enjoyed feeling the heat of the afternoon sun, or cool breezes at night, but sometimes it was better to wait out a soul and let that sense fade. Easier to hike through Atlas in the winter when you can't feel the freezing weather.

Next would be colour. Or, vibrant colour really. Human colour, I liked to call it. Humans saw the world as so dynamic, so magical. Greens really popped. Blues shone. Don't even get me started on red. Things were just so beautiful with human eyes. Without it, everything just looked bland and boring. Again, not a huge problem. But this one came with the hunger. My Reaper form would start echoing, calling for any dying people without me willing it to, regardless of distance. I wouldn't need to push out with my power to look for the dying, my body would do that for me. From there, it would only get stronger. Reapers had to Reap, mom liked to say.

What was next? I sang the jingle once more. Clammy skin, what was that again? Oh, right. My heart would stop beating. No heart beat, no body temperature. This was as far as I had ever gotten before succumbing to the hunger. It would probably take three weeks to get to this stage, a month at most.

Time was next. My internal clock would be thrown out the window, just like Weiss's alarm clock was yesterday morning by Yang. No way to properly gauge time. Okay, this wasn't terrible. Finally a real perk to having Weiss as a partner. If I could just hide the fact that I had no pulse, or way to feel the weather, I could get through this stage without any real problems.

Hopefully.

Just need to listen to Weiss and let her pick the schedule. That gave me another day or two if i was lucky. What next, what next? Taste. Okay, again, not a huge problem. Another few days.

Soul sight.

I shuddered. If I somehow managed to get the soul sight, then the soul would be fully worn off. Do not, at any cost, get the soul sight.

Okay, okay, okay. Calm down Ruby-roo. You still have some time to handle this. Plenty of time before your body starts searching for humans to Reap. "You knew this was going to happen eventually," I scolded myself.

I shifted under my blanket-cocoon. This was so much scarier when surrounded by huntsmen. Why couldn't that stupid vampire last a little longer?

All I had to do was stick to my original plan. Claim a territory and find some new souls to Reap before the vampire wears off. Preferably, it would be another vampire. Most likely, a human. An old one would be nice, but even a sick adult would work. Hopefully not a baby. Not only did it feel terrible to Reap babies, their souls didn't last very long. A few hours at most.

I could do this. I was just freaking out a little, but all is well and good. I can handle it. I knew I could. I've done this before. Calm down Ruby! Maybe in another day or two, I could sneak out and search for somebody dying. It would mean a trip to Vale, since I doubted many students up and died in the middle of the night. Making sure I was securely wrapped in my blanket, I let out a bit of my magic, my skin paled and became slightly translucent. Pushing it out in every direction, I couldn't sense anything remiss. Not a single person nearby was dying or on the verge of death.

"Can somebody turn off the AC?" I heard Yang say, the faint sounds of her shifting in her bed, the only sounds in the room.

"I should have gone to an old folks home instead of a school for children," I grumbled, placing my forehead on my crossed arms.

Reaching under my pillow, I pulled out my notebook. Flipping to the page with my steps to be human, I reread them quickly. This original three -two and a half- points now numbered twelve. Including the goal to get Weiss to give me a high five and Blake to smile. Oh, I did that one. Hooray! One more thing successfully completed at Beacon.

My first step still seemed hopelessly far from my grasp. I needed to get territory and I needed to get it soon. It was dangerous without territory. If a Reaper stumbled across me and claimed the area before I could, I would have to leave. Or worse.

I doubted they would ever be as nice as Cinder.

Oh, Salem! Cinder would be coming back soon. I had to claim territory before she got back. It was kind of her to let me Reap in her territory -potential territory-, but it still meant putting my faith in another Reaper.

First things first. Step thirteen, buy myself more time as a human. Get to Vale and Reap. And don't get caught by my classmates or teammates. That would be really, really bad.

I checked the time, seeing it to be early morning. It was still a few hours before anybody would wake up. Not feeling tired in the slightest, I hopped out of bed, stretching, because that's what most humans did when they got up, and changed into my regular clothes.

Quietly closing the door behind me, I ventured back into the boring not-cold, not-even-pleasant night. My skin didn't feel the rush of the wind, nor any nip running down my spine. The wind ruffled my hair and I felt it's usual pressure on me, but that was it. I sighed in disappointment.

"Better get used to it, Ruby." I said to myself in a voice no louder than a whisper. I knew I was alone, but the idea of ruining the silence just felt off to me.

I heard a rustle.

Wait, was I alone?

I strained for any sound, outside the norm. It was quiet again. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Weird."

I continued walking around, the tall grey-stone buildings taking on an eerie blackness at night. All lights were off. It was... darker than it should be.

Not in a Reaper way, just a normal why-are-all-the-lights-off? sort of way.

Why were all the lights off anyways? There were pathway lights and overhead street lights all over the place.

"You're out late, shorty."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Squeaking, I spun around.

The boy was wearing all grey, matching his hair and even his eyes. It blended in surprisingly well, with the night. He had a toothy grin on his face and a hand on his hip. He was waiting for something.

"Phew, you scared me. I thought I was alone out here. How did you do that, by the way?"

The boy frowned.

"What a strange girl," he muttered to himself. Shrugging, his gaze returned to mine. "Years of practice. Never know when you might need to steal the prey of others. Or sneak up on unsuspecting young huntresses."

He gave me a toothy smile.

I smiled back.

He frowned again.

I shuffled my feet. "So... goodbye."

Turning to leave, I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Wait, that was not how this was supposed to go."

He sighed, taking a small step back again, eyeing me strangely.

"You are a strange one. Out in the middle of the night, set upon by a vampire, and not even a bit of fear. I was hoping to play with my food a bit, but no, you had to ruin my fun."

Huh, I guess his smile was a bit wider than it should have been. He did appear to have fangs. Sharp, a bit of aged blood. Dirtier than the old vampire.

I grinned. "You were planning to drink my blood?"

"Duh?" The boy rolled his eyes. "Drink your blood, then maybe leave you on the side of the curb or in a back alley or something. I haven't thought that far yet. Not that it really matters. Your life is over the moment people notice the teeth marks. Can't be too careful you weren't turned into one of the clan."

"So it is a clan of vampires! I always thought it was coven. Yang was right. You do learn something new every day -night- well, you get the point."

"You are taking this whole about to be sucked dry and then cast out of society bit surprisingly well."

"A lot on my mind. And don't worry about me being cast out of society. If they figured out what I was, I can promise you they would cast me out a lot faster than they would you. Anyways, the last vampire I Reaped is wearing off and I'm starting to feel, well, unfeel, certain things. Kind of hard to shiver in my shoes when I can no longer... well, shiver."

The boy just looked at me. I smirked as the pieces slowly fell into place in his mind. Of course, the growing pool of shadow at my feet, and paling skin probably helped a little.

"Oh god, you're her." He took a step back, fear emblazoned on his features. "I am so sorry. She told me you were here, I just didn't think- please don't kill me!"

He fell to his knees, shaking. His hands were clasped together, almost praying for forgiveness.

"Woah, I'm not going to kill you. I don't kill. Well, I kill Grimm and maybe a squirrel or two when I'm alone and want to taste something, but they don't have mortal souls, so they don't count."

"I'm just here for food." He continued to beg, "spare me."

Why was he so scared? I knew I was a Reaper, and I knew he knew, but was I really that scary?

I ran up, giving him a hug. Humans enjoyed hugs. That was a fact. "I'm not going to kill you. Reapers don't kill."

"You're not?" He still seemed unsure.

"My name's Ruby. What's yours?"

"Mercury. Mercury Black."

"You seem new to this."

"I'm really not. Just... a Reaper I know warned me to not do anything that might... affect your time here."

"Another Reaper is in beacon"

Mercury shook his head. "She's wandering. Here and there. Found me and my clan in Mistral. I... suggested that we move to Vale."

"Well, I bet Vale has more people walking around at night to drink. But, Beacon does have a lot of people trained to attack and kill your kind. Not that I understand why they go after vampires. You're all the same species after all."

"What? No, never mind that. I guess Beacon is off limits then?"

I nodded. "I don't want you to get hurt trying to go after somebody."

"You are a strange one, Ruby. You'd think a Reaper would be all about vampires and humans killing each other. Eating our souls or whatever."

"Ew! You think we? Ugh, gross. Why would we eat souls? Have you seen a person's soul? We just Reap them."

"I bet they taste delicious..."

"NO."

Mercury froze under my intense gaze. My voice had gotten louder than I had wanted it to. Much louder. Probably more forceful too. As soon as I realized what I did, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

"No. Reapers don't eat souls. They shouldn't." My voice was nearly a whisper. "It's... wrong. And horrible. Our purpose is to Reap souls. That's what mom said. Reapers Reap. Not eat. Please... just leave it at that."

Mercury nodded slowly. "Okay. I guess I will see you around. Maybe when my Reaper is back in town. Maybe we'll go for lunch or a midnight snack or something."

"I never knew vampires could be close with Reapers!" I gave him my bestest smile. This was so awesome! Most vampires were scared of Reapers. Not that I blamed them. All humans were.

"Trust me Red, they can't. I guess... I will see you around."

"And no drinking the students?"

"No drinking the students," he agreed. "Catch you later."

As silently as he arrived, Mercury was gone and I was left scratching my head at the all too strange conversation with a vampire.

"Well that was weird."

* * *

**Welp, that was a little more info-dumpy than I would have liked, but I just needed to get it out. Thank you all so much for helping me reach this incredible milestone. As I mentioned in my previous milestone present update, I hadn't thought this story was going to get more than a dozen views, let alone over 200 followers and over 100 favourites. You guys are the real heroes. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. I hope you all continue to read along and call me out for my stupidity or mistakes if (when) they come about. See you all in two weeks for the regularly scheduled chapter update.**

**Sm0keyPanda - Hopefully it continues to get better.**

**Alucard45 - Regarding vampire souls, you are on the right track. Most vampires are better as 'fuel' than humans, though maybe not for the reason you think. It will be touched on a bit later in the story, so don't think it'll be some important revelation. For the Blake scene, thanks. I needed some wholesome bits. Mainly so Blake and Ruby could talk more than they do in the show.**

**Lasereye27 - It's great to be back!**

**JackTheSpades - Wouldn't is be hilarious of Ruby is just clueless about her own species? Just imagine, Ruby: Since when did I have laser vision?!**

**FN75 - Who knows what Blake'll do? ;P**

**ecoolasice - I'm actually pretty darn excited to write that chapter too!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - I will take that as a good thing!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Onto the next one.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

"Ruby Rose, wake up this instant!" Came that horrible morning order.

Groaning and rolling over, hiding myself once more in my blankets, I could make out the sound of the scowling heiress. I might have mumbled something about hitting the snooze for five more hours. That seemed reasonable, right? It only seemed to anger my partner that much more, who proceeded to yank on my blanket, letting sunlight batter my eyes into submission.

"Fine. Just know that I hate you."

Weiss snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Eat your cookie and strawberry filled breakfast and then try to say that again with a straight face."

Well, she got me there.

"I'm still not happy." I grumbled, rolling into a sitting position, letting my feet dangle off the bed. Stretching and letting out a final yawn, I felt my heart constrict in my chest.

The sudden jolt froze me, the yawn catching in my throat as the wave of pressure rolled over me. It took me a second to figure out why. I had extended my magic across the room. Every shadow bathed in both natural and man-made light told a story. The housefly buzzing around inside the garbage can near Yang's bed had four days left to live. Unless somebody got to it first with a fly swatter. There was a couple spiders using the corners of Blake's bookshelf as a home. The eldest, no doubt the mother still had a few months. One had two years. I was surprised to see one was expecting 5 years.

There were fairies using the rafters between the ceiling and the floor above as a nest. None were going to be living longer than ten years. Pretty average all things considered.

"Ruby?"

The blonde-girl had the longest lifespan of the three of them. Ninety nine. With how well she trained and ate, I would expect it to rise by a year or two. The white haired one had too much stress to gain any real benefits from her training and health regimen. That emotion was counter-productive to life. Wait, what?

I felt a finger poking my forehead.

Shaking myself from my stupor, I noticed Weiss -no, not just Weiss, all three of my teammates- staring at me in confusion. I glanced between them. "Do I have something in my hair?"

"You froze, Ruby" Blake said. "You looked paralyzed; eyes wide and body twitching."

I rubbed my back gently underneath my sleep shirt. Okay, that was still good. I could feel my own body heat on my fingers. Nothing was speeding up. Must have just been a weird fluke.

"Just tense. I-I think I might have pulled a muscle or something. Nothing that a few minutes of stretching and exercise won't cure. Right?" I tried to laugh it off, my laughter ringing out as hollow even to my own ears. Not the greatest morning it was.

The three girls seemed to back off and accept my suggestion, unsure of what else it could be. Yang did ask if I needed to go visit the medical wing or see a doctor, but I quickly brushed away that suggestion. It wouldn't do to have anything strange about me discovered. It would all be better once I could sneak out into Vale and find somebody dying. There had to be loads of old people in the big city. Or even a murder or robbery gone wrong. Both suited my needs.

Though the blood was gross to deal with.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Weiss said, hands on hips and looking at us in what I can only guess was her best Professor Goodwitch impersonation.

It was quite good.

"What plan?" Yang asked before I could. This brought out a loud groan from Weiss, who shook her head in dismay.

"Vale? Vytal festival? You all promised to come visit the city with me to check out- I mean, to tour?"

"I remembered Weiss!" I shouted with as much cheer as I could muster.

"No you didn't Ruby, but thanks anyways." Weiss grunted back.

Two hours and forty five minutes later -of which felt like a blink of an eye to me, and fifteen years to Weiss- we all stepped off the Bullhead and into the big city.

And it was just that. It had been... seven months since I was last in Vale? Eight months maybe? I couldn't remember for sure, but it was before Beacon and before the Xiao Longs. That was for sure. Visiting Vale and bumping into Mr. Pleading-For-His-Life and his.. daughter? She creeped me out. -Was probably the best thing that happened to me this decade. I smiled wistfully at the thought.

Vale held large streets with nice wide sidewalks which allowed all four of us to walk side by side -by side by side- if we wanted to. The buildings were tall, much taller than even the headmaster's tower back in Beacon. Many were sort of rectangle shaped, and none had the engravements or precise etchings that were commonplace on the stonework in Beacon. Actually, most of the buildings here weren't made out of stone. They did have nice glass windows though which let me peak inside.

Some windows had fake people wearing cloths, others had sweets and cookies and muffins and pies and -no Ruby, don't just look at the food- and an assortment of other confectaries. Ya, that's what Weiss called them.

There were some buildings which only held desks and people, all busy at work, doing whatever humans did for work. And most people I saw were humans. Well, the human word for humans that didn't include faunus. I guess it made sense that they liked to break things up into subspecies. Zombies and mummies were the same, Will o' Wisps and Life Lights were the same, even Brownies and Aumakua were pretty much the same, if you didn't take into account their demeanours.

Were there subspecies of Reaper as well? That was something to think about. I knew that not all Reapers were the same and some strayed from our purpose, but were they considered different subspecies altogether by humans? Should they be? Did Reapers label them as some other species? And what were their names? Because I don't think Bities or Chompies were correct. Thanks mom. Then again, I still can't believe she first told those things to a fifteen year old Reaper.

I wasn't even aware that my teammates had stopped walking. We were at a port, or dock. There was a difference between the two I was sure, but what that difference was, was still a mystery.

Large ships and small boats lined the harbour front, some taking on new passengers, and others unloading their goods; both of the people and stuff varieties.

My gaze was fixed on boats, marveling on the metal contraptions and how they seemed to float so effortlessly in the water. If I tried to do that, I would sink. Unless I paddled hard enough. Not like sinking did much for me if I hadn't had a soul in a while. But having water fill up your lungs? Even useless unused lungs? Still an unpleasant feeling.

"-so many people and goods to move and organize! The amount of organization required to put together the festival is just simply breathtaking!"

Weiss's cheery voice, broke me from my thoughts and my attention turned back to her and Yang's groaning.

"How could you make something like the Vytal festival sound so boring."

"I like to think that I'm improving your preconceived notions of it being purely a festival."

"But isn't it though? Food, games, fun? It's SO a festival!" Yang blared, arms over her head. "Well, there is the tournament part, but that's just included in the festival-ities! Heh? heh?"

"I don't even think that can be considered a pun, Yang." Blake said with a flick of her ear -bow-.

"Everyone's a critic." Yang mumbled, while I patted her back as gently as I could.

"Hey! Somebody stop him! No good, bloody stow-away!" Shouted someone from the docks.

"I will have you know, I'm a great stowaway!"

All four of our heads turned to the incoming stowaway. A boy faunus. His tail swished around behind him as he ran, using it to help leap onto a street lamp and then throw himself towards our group.

"Ladies," he winked, darting off in another direction.

Weiss was the first to regain her bearings, gesturing wildly at the faunus and shouting for us to "follow after it". I immediately noticed Blake's ear twitch at that statement. But follow we did. At least as best as we could, given that he was swinging around with his tail and moving a lot faster than he really should be, amid the busy streets all preparing for the festival.

Really, I think Weiss was the only one of us in any hurry to catch him. Not to say I wasn't curious why he was a stowaway. But, it was more of a passing curiousity. Did it really matter? No, not at all. He was just some faunus boy.

"Damn! I lost the faunus." Weiss slowed to a stop, breathing hard and snapping her fingers angrily. "That no good, stupid faunus. I hope the police catch him."

"Why are you so desperate to catch him?" Blake said, lips curled in a frown.

"Why else? He's a crook. A scoundrel! You heard what the ship's captain said. That faunus is nothing but a no good stowaway. I bet he's part of the White Fang, just doing what he can to cause as much trouble as possible for us normal people."

"Normal people?" Blake's quiet voice seethed with rage. I felt Yang's hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze. A silent plea to try and diffuse the situation.

I wasn't completely sure if I could diffuse it.

Or if I even wanted to.

"Of course." Weiss said in her high-and-mighty voice. The one she loved to use when lecturing me about basic mathematics and other useless things like aura management homework. "Look at them and look at us. We work hard and train hard. We benefit the economy and improve lives. What do the White Fang faunus do? Steal and lie and kill. No better than chimera. Those faunus don't even deserve to be classified as human. Monsters the whole lot of them."

"That's enough Weiss," Yang warned. Blake was silent, her fists clenched tightly, trying to hold back her rage.

Fine by her. I wasn't going to let that stand. Nobody and I mean nobody, gets to say that a human doesn't deserve their humanity.

"Weiss. How can you be so completely and utterly stupid?" I finally said. My heart pounded in my chest, my own body heat making up for the lack of physical heat around me. "You think the White Fang are all monsters? Faunus are all monsters? Well, take a look at yourself in the mirror for once. You, sitting on your high throne, debasing others and saying they lack humanity. Well, good or bad, they are still human. Calling them chimera... I... I..."

I shook with anger. This was too much. Why was I getting so angry? Why were my emotions running so wild? Was it because of Blake? Had I bonded with her so much that I was feeling what she was? What did humans call it? Sympathy? No, empathy?

"After centuries, CENTURIES of abuse and struggle, faunus still try to become 'human' in your eyes. Well, I say they are more human than you are. Degrading someone else for something they have no control over. What if all humans rose up and declared that anyone with white hair were no longer human. What would you do then? Huh Weiss? huh? Do you have nothing to say, other than cruel words?"

"You don't get it, my family-"

"No Weiss. You don't get it." I refused to give her a chance to speak, as I stepped that much closer to her. "Just because a faunus does something bad, it doesn't make them inhuman. Trust me, I know inhuman. Would you say the same thing about any human -bar faunus- who commits a crime? Should we all now lump all of humans into the same boat because some of them are evil? How about those humans who let faunus die in caves all over Atlas. It's really depressing seeing them. They're always looking forward to death. To be away from their captors. Shouldn't those be the real monsters?"

Weiss took a small step back, too stunned for words. Her voice cracked, letting out only a garbled sound.

"I'm sorry," I could barely hear her squeak out, as she turned and fled.

* * *

**And back to the usual schedule now.**

**Alucard45 - Rule one of Reaper Club: Never go full Reaper. **

**Firewyrm2 - I already have a solid plan for the docks. Hopefully you like it.**

**FN75 - It's like they are soulmates! Hmm... Do Reapers even have souls? I guess this story is now a vampire romance novel. What a twist! (just joking, this's most definitely not a romance at all)**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Ya, I kinda knew going in that the chapter would be pretty info-dumpy. But at least you guys know that info now and the story can chug along like normal.**

**Guest - Today IS supposed to be the next update. And here it is.**

**I got a whole bunch of replies and messages regarding the Reaping vs killing thing brought up in the previous chapter and I can definitely say that it's not a mistake. Just that, there is a very big difference between Reaping a soul and killing. If you pick through mentions of Reaping or killing during Ruby's internal monologues, it does decipher some important things regarding death and a Reaper's role in the process. It'll continue to be discussed throughout the story and later on I will be showing you guys exactly what I mean. But for now, the confusion is deliberate, though maybe more so than I had intended. See you all in two weeks!**


	15. Chapter 15

**One more fresh off the press.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 15**

* * *

"Weiss! Weiss, where are you!" I shouted through open hands. It had been an entire day since we last saw her. My white haired partner hadn't even returned to our room last night. I would know if she had come by, even for a second. I was up and pacing the room.

And the hallway.

And the entire dorm building.

So what if I had some excess nervous energy? It wan't like I really needed that much sleep to begin with. I was just a little annoyed with past me that she didn't use that time properly. Instead of pacing, I could have written down places where Weiss could be! Like the Forever Fall forest. Or the outskirts of Vale, close to the walls, but not so close as to be seen. Maybe even an abandoned building on the bad side of town!

Wait, that's where I would be. Weiss was like a human princess or something. They wouldn't be in abandoned, dusty, rust-covered dumps of a building. She would be living the high life! That's what Yang says rich people do.

"Hey Yang, we should check out the tops of those super tall sky scrapers."

"Why's that, Rubes?" Yang replied, digging her hands into her pockets as we walked.

"Well, you said rich people like Weiss enjoyed the high life. So shouldn't we be checking out the tops of the tallest buildings?"

"Good one Ruby." Yang laughed, punching my shoulder. "Glad you can still make jokes. Keep it up."

She didn't answer my question!

"She does have a point though," Blake commented, eyes focused ahead of her, bow twitching slightly. "Weiss is an heiress. There is a good chance that she is in some penthouse suite somewhere. We should be checking the major hotels in the city."

Yang nodded, quickening her pace. At the same time, Blake slowed down until she was walking in-step with me.

"Thank you for taking my side," Blake whispered. "If you hadn't, I think I would have accidentally told them what I was."

"You still should." My attention was still on the task of finding Weiss. What I wouldn't give for vampire hearing. Or free space to use some magic. Or even have magic that would allow me to pinpoint Weiss's location. Darn that would be awesome. Why did Yang have to fight my idea of all splitting up? It wasn't like we could all get lost in the city at the same time. Maybe.

"I don't know... With you it sort of just slipped out without meaning it to. Humans generally hate faunus. There's a reason why the White Fang is continuously growing."

I shrugged, "i don't know much about that sort of stuff. You all are just humans to me. Cat ears or fox tails are no different than having black hair or yellow eyes."

"Isn't that a little bit naive to think, though?"

"How so? You guys have better eyesight at night, sure. But humans and faunus can mate and have children. They live to around the same ages, they have the same abilities for thought and speech. Maybe it's naive to think they are any different." I continued on ahead, leaving Blake to her thoughts.

I tried shouting for Weiss one more time, but still, nothing. Looking up at the super tall buildings around us, I tried to see if I could spot anything. Darn setting sun and windows blocking my view of Weiss. If she was even in any of those buildings.

"Oomph," I let out as I walked into someone, knocking them over.

"Rubes, you alright?" Yang walked over to me and the girl lying on the ground.

"Salutations!" Shouted the strange girl. Her hair was bright orange and poofy, reaching a little passed her chin. Though, some hairs were out of place, falling in front of her or sticking up in the air.

"Umm, hi?" I tried, giving a tiny wave.

"Salutations!" She repeated.

"Hello?" I tried again.

"Salutations!"

"Rubes, I think you broke her." Yang leaned into me, whispering.

"Are you alright? Would you like to stand up?"

The girl looked around and seemed to only just notice her position on the ground. With a quick hop, she was on her feet. Her green eyes were wide and her smile was a little too big.

"Salutations!" She said.

"I'm Ruby. What's your name?"

The girl cocked her head, her smile widening. "Salutations. Ruby."

"Hello."

"My name. Is Pen-Pen. Penny! Polendin... a. Penny Polendina. Salutations!"

"She's a little off her rocker," I nudged Yang with my elbow, getting her to stop talking.

"My name is Blake."

"Sup, Yang here."

She turned to each of us slowly. "Ruby. Blake. Yang. Good. Afternoon!" Even though she talked somewhat slowly, that friendly smile never left her face.

"Well, goodbye friend." I said, taking a step away and nodding my head to get my teammates to follow.

"Friend?" Penny seemed to ask, that smile not changing.

I looked to Yang and Blake, who were both vigorously shaking their heads and waving their hands.

"Yes? Sure. We can be friends."

"Salutations friend Ruby!" Penny jumped up high, crashing into me with a tight hug. Ha! I've been practicing with Yang. Your choking hugs have no effect on me!

"Penny has no never friend before. This has her greatly glad. I... will see you. Friend Ruby. Blake. Yang. Food first!" She slowly let go, allowing me to step back, before turning to leave herself, a small skip in her step.

"Well that was a little odd." Yang rubbed her neck, "you think she was on something?"

"Hey, that's rude. Maybe she's just a little bit too friendly. She said she never had a friend before." I crossed my arms, pouting.

"Ya, and she was talking about herself in the third person." Blake commented, Yang nodding along. "Among other things."

Huh, I didn't notice that.

I was a little too preoccupied with her wide smile and unblinking eyes.

Unblinking?

I thought humans needed to blink! Or was that just a common misconception. Like a strange quirk that all people have. Similar to people swinging their arms while they walk. Should I stop blinking too? I stared at Yang and then Blake. Nope, they both blank. Blunk? Blinked? Where was Weiss to fix my grammar when I needed to her.

Oh right.

"Weiss!" I shouted to no avail.

"Don't worry Rubes. We'll find your partner or my name isn't Yang Xiao Long!"

"That truly inspires me," Blake's voice was filled with so much sarcasm even I could understand it.

"And when we do, Blake and Weiss are going to talk with us and share their secrets!"

Blake threw me a nasty glare, but remained silent.

"Oh? Blakey has some secrets she wants to share? Anything devious? Or are they just deviant? Judging by your book preference, I'm going to say the latter." Yang cackled as Blake tried to defend her favourite books.

"Any secrets you want to share?" Yang asked me, her smirk still firmly in place.

"Nope!" I said much to quickly. "No secrets here. Not a one. Just regular old -young!- Ruby Rose, regular human huntress girl at your service."

Nailed it.

"I should probably apologize to Weiss though, it _is_ my fault she ran away."

"That's only if we can find her tonight." Blake said, peering at the setting sun. "It's going to be dark soon. We should probably start heading back."

"But what about Weiss?" I whined.

"Tomorrow Rubes. She already lasted one night. She could for sure last another. Don't worry, she's a huntress in training too. We'll find her." Yang rubbed my shoulder with a sisterly grin. One which I couldn't help but reciprocate.

I nodded, silently thanking her. Hopefully she understood. And with that, back to Beacon we went.

* * *

This was too much waiting! Another night and sleep was again not coming to me. Darn you Weiss for making me worry. Don't you know Reapers need our sleep too? But there I was, back in the halls of the dormitory, pacing back and forth, trying to get rid of this feeling of nervousness buzzing through me.

Looking around for anyone awake and finding nobody, I allowed myself a soft breath. Closing my eyes, I let go of my human form. Shadow wafted off of me, the hallway dimmed as all the shadows along the walls scurried towards me. As soon as they reached me, I forced them out. Away from my body, from my darkened cloak, and as far from me as possible. To the furthest extent I could muster.

I let the feelings and sounds my shadows collected to blow over me. Well, they weren't really sounds nor feelings. They were... life. The essence of life. Every living thing with a soul had it. Even Reapers had it, though ours were a little easier to distinguish. At once, I knew exactly how many living things were within my range. Most were bugs and spiders. Some fairies, brownies and goblins. A bunch of humans. Well, humans and faunus, they were too similar to tell apart. Well, then that means there might be some vampires too. They would need to be very close to me before I could tell them apart from other humans.

Nothing useful. I knew the rough locations of where everything was, but still I couldn't tell if Weiss was among them. And this was tiring me out more than I would have liked to admit. In a split second, everything returned to normal. The hallway's lights flickered back to full strength and my hood was its nice shiny red once more.

"Why did I even bother," I whispered to myself. Why couldn't I be as strong as Salem? It was no use. I was a child Reaper without even a spec of territory to her name. And here I was, wishing I could be as strong as Her. Stupid, stupid Ruby.

Walking down the hallway once again, I made my way to the staircase and down to the main floor. The main floor of the dormitories, like the rest of the public spaces, was empty of people. Everyone being smart enough to sleep during the night. It did however, give me a chance to actually marvel at how large the space was.

Six couches lined the walls, with another two placed at awkward angles around the room. They had once been along the walls with the others, but students had probably moved them to sit with their friends. A small bookshelf held a few dozen books -some school books, but mostly fake stories- beside the stairwell, and a water fountain was beside that.

"Darn, where is that light switch?" I muttered. The room of course, was pretty dark without any light. The only real source of light was from the stairway, leading up to the dorm rooms. Even the large windows and mostly glass door leading outside were dark. No stars or moon in the sky tonight.

There were two, no, three small tables nearby the couches, some with empty coffee mugs or plates that people forgot to bring back to their rooms. One even had a board game on it. with a small note on top. It probably said not to touch it. At that moment, I really wanted to touch it.

I moved one of the pieces. I'm a bad, bad Reaper. Shame on me. I had to move it back.

Penny was standing there is silence-

Wait.

"Penny?"

"Salutations!" She said in a voice much too loud for the quietness that surrounded us. I cringed at the noise.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered back.

The girl leaned forwards, placing a hand on my shoulder, "The night has been wonderful. Farewell my first friend, Ruby."

She then turned and left, opening the door slowly and walking outside into the open air. What was she doing at Beacon? Could she have been a student here and I only found out now?

No, that seemed unlikely. Was she following me? She definitely wasn't a malicious spirit or anything too out of the ordinary, or else my shadows would have picked up on her. I placed my hand on my shoulder where she touched me. That girl was creepy, even for me. And why was my shoulder sticky? Gross. She had to be human. What else could she be. If she were a Reaper, time would have froze and one of us would most likely be dead or gravely injured by now. No way was she as nice as Cinder. This girl struck me as something else. Definitely not a Grimm. Or a chimera. Way too tall to be any of the household or friendly spirits. Could she be one of the Singular Salemites?

"Huh." I wondered aloud, heading back upstairs to my room to try to get even an inkling of sleep before my day trying to find my partner.

As I reached the light of the stairs and then that of the hallway, I looked down at my sticky hand. Over top my naturally pale complexion, was a colour I was used to seeing, but never on me by accident. It was dark red and shiny.

Blood.

* * *

**Spoopy.**

**FN75 - I can tell you now that Reapers do not in fact have souls. As for what souls grant a Reaper, I did mention it in chapter 13.**

**lasereye27 - Ruby may be a little stressed about that soul**

**JackTheSpades - I liked to think of it as less of Ruby standing up for the faunus and more so her standing against classifying humans -ahem, faunus- as monsters**

**Alucard5 - You are correct with your point about the differences between killing and Reaping. Yang is going to live until 99, not another 99 years But can you imagine a 116 year old Yang? She'd still be getting into bar fights. I'm also happy with how the interaction between Ruby and Weiss went down. Blake already confided in Ruby that she is a faunus and Ruby definitely has seen some stuff during her life.**

**TiberiumSnow - I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Dragonueen1993 - I think you will enjoy next chapter *fingers crossed***

**ajokitty1026 - Oh yes. Very much so. You will be seeing Bities for sure and most likely Chompies (well, what they are actually called) in this story.**


	16. Interlude: Weiss

**Now for something new.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**INTERLUDE 1: Weiss**

* * *

Even the idea that Weiss had fled in the face of that... that child was an affront to her very nature as a Schnee. She was the epitome of grace and class and responsibility. She held some of the highest grades of the year this far, had an excellent win percentage in Professor Goodwitch's class, and was vastly wealthy to boot.

Not that she truly cared about her socioeconomic status. But, it was just one more thing which divided her from her more common peers. Another was the turmoil which filled her mind every time she was passed by a faunus.

It wasn't their fault. She knew that. Deep down, she chastised herself every time she flinched when one was walking next to her, or nearby. They were just talking to their friends, or heading to class, or talking on their scrolls, or anything. But they would glance at her and her extremely recognizable white hair and blue eyes. And Weiss would flinch.

It was worse when they accidently bumped into her. They were students. She knew their names and even knew some of their teammates' names. But just the closeness of them. That little jolt would nearly bring her to tears and collapse into a ball.

It wasn't their fault. It wasn't their fault that her uncles and aunts all met their ends at the hands of faunus supremacists in the White Fang. It wasn't their fault that she had witnessed her godfather be gunned down right in front of her. Or her own personal guard take a knife to the chest that was meant for her, at the age of seven. No, it wasn't their fault. And that made it worse.

And then Ruby Rose; her small, childish, immature and incredibly powerful partner had yelled at her. Weiss had called them monsters. The very people she had spent years hiding under the covers from, losing sleep thanks to nightmares from, the epitome of violence and anger and hatred -even more so than Salemites and Grimm- the true monsters. They were inhuman. And Ruby had thrown it all back in her face.

_No Weiss. You don't get it. Just because a faunus does something bad, it doesn't make them inhuman. Trust me, I know inhuman. __Would you say the same thing about any human -bar faunus- who commits a crime? Should we all now lump all of humans into the same boat because some of them are evil?_

It hurt, because it was true. Weiss had hated the White Fang. She had truly feared them. And in her hatred and fear, all other faunus had been lumped into that category. Enough so, that she hated and feared any faunus on the street. How had all faunus become synonymous with the White Fang who killed so much of her family? Was it because of her father? He had always told her, her brother and sister that any faunus could become an enemy. Any faunus had the ability to kill them at any moment if they weren't careful. If they didn't push themselves to be the best.

Ruby had shouted at her. Told her that the faunus had struggled for centuries. Been abused for centuries. Weiss knew her history. She knew that they had been slaves for most of recorded time. But things were getting better for them, weren't they?

_How about those humans who let faunus die in caves all over Atlas. Shouldn't those be the real monsters?_

No. Ruby was right yet again. Weiss understood full well that her father and the SDC operated in a legal grey zone when it came to dust mining and faunus labour. Restrictions and requirements placed on faunus labour were always being increased in the SDC. The pay was high enough that it still attracted faunus labour, but that was more due to the pitiful faunus wage laws around Atlas, as opposed to any good the company was doing.

She knew she was in the wrong. It troubled her so much that she knew it, but could only resort to running away when forced to confront the issue. Forced to confront her own biases she and her father had built up within her.

And so she walked the city of Vale alone. Stuck in her head, replaying that conversation over and over again. Ruby should have let her speak! Let her explain why. But no. Weiss shook the thought from her head. Even if she explained, it didn't change the fact that she was still wrong.

She needed to do something. Something to show everyone that her problems were with the White Fang, not all faunus. It may not be fully truthful, but it would be a start. A step in the right direction.

"Howdy ice queen," came a cheerful masculine voice attached to an even more masculine guy.

Who happened to have a monkey tail.

"What do you want, you rapscallion?" Weiss internally cringed. So much for that step in the right direction. Still, she maintained her icy demeanour.

The monkey faunus let out a chuckle. "Rapscallion? Stuck in the dark ages? I much prefer devilish rogue, or stowaway supreme, but you can call me Sun."

Weiss finally deigned to look at the young man who had instigated the whole situation. She wasn't sure if she liked what she saw. His hair was a mess and his shirt was wide open. His easy-going grin fit him though, as he lazily leaned back on his hands while sitting on the curb.

"Good afternoon... Sun. My name is Weiss Schnee. I will have you use it over ice queen, princess or any other nicknames you may choose to bestow on me."

Sun shrugged. "Fine by me. What happened to the rest of your little group?"

"We... had a small argument, I decided to spend some time on my own to clear my head."

Sun's tail flicked up, Weiss's eyes darted from the tail's movement back to Sun.

"Well Weiss, I'm new in town. Why don't you show me the sights and get a load off with a stranger." Sun moved to get up.

"I will do no such lewd thing with the likes of you!" Weiss shrieked, stepping away. The move brought another easy-going smirk to Sun's lips.

"It means to open up. You know, share what's on your mind? Nothing better than to share with a stranger. It's likely we'll never see each other again, so there isn't any risk. And on top of that, you're a Schnee, I'm a faunus, I doubt anybody would believe anything I said if I did slip up and share anything. Who'd believe the Schnee heiress spoke with a faunus, much less shared her feelings?"

Weiss flinched at the mention of her name and status. Sun noticed.

"Ooh, sorry if I hit a sore spot there. Please feel free to kick me or something. Just trying to be friendly here."

"But why?!" Weiss all but screamed, stomping her foot at the much too friendly monkey faunus and rubbing her temples. "We've conversed for maybe 3 minutes at most and I have made some quite racist ticks of mine well known to you. Unless you are truly a total imbecile and missed my reactions to your presence."

Sun shrugged, "What's the harm? If you attacked or started shouting racist slurs, then ya, I might have thought better of interacting with you. But, besides the whole 'rapscallion' bit, it's been fairly chill. You got some ticks sure, but you're still attempting a conversation. I may not be all gung-ho about trying to sway racists to change their opinions, but if I'm cool and their cool, then we're cool."

Weiss stood there for a moment. "You lost me."

Sun chuckled, "it's like this, Weiss. I'm not going to change myself to get in other's good graces. If people want to see my tail first, then I let them. If they want to see me first, ditto there. If it takes time for them to notice the person attached to the tail, I say take all the time you need."

"So.. you're okay with it?"

"No, not really. Having someone flinch or shudder at your very existence is a little rude."

"Well that was brutally honest."

"Hey, I did say I'm not going to change myself to get in anyone's good graces. I did also mean what I said before. You want to talk? Promise I won't ask any questions. 'less you want me to of course."

Weiss glared at him, trying to decipher his true intentions. He stared back with the same partly lazy, partly friendly expression he had the entire conversation. Finally, Weiss sighed. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Gesturing to his left, she took a seat on the street curb, legs held close together and hands gracefully over top.

"Do you know about the White Fang?" Weiss began.

"Well ya, holier-than-thou faunus who enjoy fighting and beating up others more than the cause they say they support."

"Exactly! No..." Weiss backtracked, stopping her enthused reaction before it could come to the forefront. "And you know about the Schnees. Right, you do. Well my family and the White Fang are at war. Or, as close to war as a company and a terrorist organization can come to it. Deaths on both sides. It... didn't make for an easy childhood. Lots of dead relatives. It made it hard for my father. Every time somebody died, the rules would get tougher, the regulations and punishments more severe. Like a never-ending cycle. I know my family's company is as much to blame as the White Fang is.

"My team... No, I was criticizing the White Fang and faunus, and my team leader stood up to me. I didn't know how to handle it properly. I still don't. But I do know that I want to do something about the White Fang and show that I know the difference between good people and bad. That my father's thoughts aren't my own."

"Well, I don't know anything about that second one, but if you're looking to stop the White Fang, their going to be buying a shipload of guns and dust coming in at the docks two nights from now. No, make that three." Sun said.

"Please tell me I didn't just share my feelings with a member of the White Fang."

"Nah, those guys are just way too open when around other faunus. There were a whole bunch of them on the boat I caught a ride on."

Sun hopped up, motioning for Weiss to do the same. She did so in a much more elegant manner, but did follow Sun as he walked down the street, hands clasped behind is head as the two strolled down the way they came, turning off towards a smaller intersection.

Weiss jumped as her scroll rang. Without a word, she checked the name, hung up and placed the device back into her dress's pocket. Weiss was grateful that Sun did not make mention of the exchange, even though she could tell from his multiple glances at her that he was indeed curious. That was another good mark in her book.

And that thought surprised her. No, not that this rapscallion of a faunus was slowly getting into her good graces, but that she -Weiss Schnee- was allowing anyone whom she had deemed beneath her to even _attempt_ to get into her good graces. Sun, for all his unpolished... everything, was quite charming and friendly when it came down to brass tax. Weiss stared at the young man, definitely her own age and definitely here for the Vytal festival. She would see where this conversational exchange would go. Weiss did not fully trust him; what reasonable person would trust anyone they met on the street? But, she no longer inherently distrusted him.

They continued to walk down the street, shoulder to shoulder, just simply talking and smiling.

Not once did Weiss look down at his tail.

* * *

**Aahh! What is this madness?! A chapter not from the perspective of Ruby 'That Adorable Reaper' Rose? Now now my good sirs and ladies. That is why this chapter is an Interlude! Yes, this is the first of potentially many interludes in this story. They will crop up from time to time. Sometimes as a way to switch character perspectives for a bit, and other times to add in some world building or in-world stories and myths. Will they be a regular occurrence? Probably not, but I can assure you that they will still maintain the 2k minimum word limit that all other chapters of this story hold. That is my 0ne promise! Okay, I deserve a slap for that pun.**

**dragonqueen1993 - Sorry to say, Ruby isn't bleeding from Penny's touch.**

**Firewyrm2 - If you would like longer chapters, please look for stories with longer chapters. Similarly, I am not mougera. If you want me to only post when I'm done this story, then you will need to wait at minimum six months for the next post. I'm grateful that you enjoy this story to want more and longer content, but I'm not mougera and mougera isn't me. PS, the average chapter length in most books are between 1,500 and 5000 words. So, I'm actually in the sweet spot. :)**

**Alucard45 - Glad you're enjoying Penny. I promise you I did not turn Penny into a murder-bot. I however, did have fun writing the next few chapters... take that how you will.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Things are getting spicy!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Most of the day played out very much like it normally would, had there been four of us present instead of three. I was the first in the bathroom, since I woke up first. I brushed my teeth, took a quick shower -no point when there is no hot water-, then sat on the lid of the toilet and brushed my hair until it was time to flush. Then Blake would have her turn, followed by Yang. Weiss would usually go right after Blake, but with her missing...

My scroll buzzed on my desk. "Huh?" I turned to the noise.

"Hey, Rubes? You think I can thank Weiss when we see her for leaving me some more hot water in the morning, or is that just mean." Yang shouted from inside the shower.

I didn't bother with a response as I flipped over my scroll and read those six amazing words.

_Meet me at the docks tonight._

I almost squealed with joy.

"Ruby? Was that you?" Came Yang from the shower again.

And again, I did not squeal with joy.

"A message from Weiss! A message from Weiss! Look Yang, Blake. She sent me a message!" I jammed my scroll into Blake's face, over top her book.

Blake peered up at me, making a face. How could someone have a smirk that expressed just how bored, annoyed and how little she cared? It was... kind of impressive.

"Ruby, I believe you. I don't need to have a scroll placed in front of me to reconfirm that."

"But, Weiss!" I shouted back. This was all too exciting. I had called her too many times. I had sent her so many messages. When I thought it was because it was me messaging her, I used Blake's and Yang's. I even used Jaune's! If anyone could get a reaction out of the ice princess, it was Jaune!

That meant they were in love right? Yang told me about the sacred female tradition of 'playing hard to get'.

"So, when are we going to grab her? Dibs on beating her up first for worrying us!" Yang said while drying her hair with an extra towel. I frowned.

"No Yang. As her partner, I get first dibs!" I grinned playfully. It was Weiss! We were going to get her back and all would be normal again. "Oh, we're going to meet her at the docks tonight. That's what her message told me."

It took us all of five minutes to decide that there was no way we were going to wait around for tonight. Classes be damned. If _Weiss_ of all people was fine skipping a day of classes for this, then we would too. I wondered, what sort of detention I would get this time? But on the other hand, Oobleck was giving the first lecture of the day and I still could only understand every third word he said.

Packing up all of our gear and weapons, we found the first ship to Vale. Of course, the ship was heading towards the tourist district; not the closest of places to the docks, but at least we would be out of Beacon and away from the prying eyes -and punishing lips- of our professors. The area itself was bustling. Lots of people of every shape and size were walking the streets and into the many, many shops and restaurants and, was that a bakery we just passed? No, no Ruby. Weiss first, cookies second.

In my daze of cookie-filled dreams and ideas, I bumped into someone. Taking a look at who I ran into, I could only gasp in surprise when i saw that familiar red hair and green eyes. "Penny!"

Her head tilted. "Salutation, friend Ruby Rose."

"Hey look, it's Penny," Yang fake cheered, rubbing her neck sheepishly.

Penny's eyes darted to the blonde, "are you... looking for... your... friend?"

"Uh, ya. Yup. Still looking for her. We're actually heading to the do-cks." Yang coughed when Blake elbowed her in the ribs.

"Docks. Penny shall accompany you? To the docks. Friend Ruby. Blake. Yang. Many many people at the docks." Penny smiled. "Many many bad people," her smile widened. "I am combat ready!"

"Sure..." Yang exhaled.

We slowly set off once more, now with... Penny in tow. Something was off about her. She definitely didn't act like a normal human. But what else could she be? And why was her hand covered in blood that night? I slowed my pace, allowing Yang and Blake to take the lead, while I walked in-step with our new friend. i gave her a sidelong glance. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a normal smile and a skip in her step. She even hummed a tune. Then I remembered what Yang had said yesterday and I stared at her eyes.

Not a single blink.

"Hey Penny?" I began.

"Yes friend Ruby?" she responded merrily.

"Are you alright? You had blood yesterday when you visited Beacon..."

"I am alright. Alright indeed! Nothing happened yesterday," she giggled amidst a hiccup. "I am feeling a lot better, because I am combat ready!"

"Is that good?"

"It is superb!"

I didn't know what else to say. It was strange to say the least. And still, she continued along with us, letting Blake and Yang lead the way without a care in the world.

"What were you doing at Beacon?"

"Penny wishes to compete in the Vytal tournament." Penny responded immediately, still smiling.

"You seem different than last time I bumped into you... sorry about that again."

"I am no longer hungry! All things require sustenance. Sustenance is food! And food is meat and meat is best when fresh!"

I could only nod at that. Meat was sooo good! Our conversation slowed down after that, my focus and thoughts once more returning to my long lost partner. I was still just so happy she got in touch with me. I thought I had lost her for good. I would never have a chance to see her again and apologize and say it was all my fault and that I shouldn't have yelled at her or called her a monster, because who was I to judge that and -enough me. I was rambling in my own thoughts.

We walked for I don't know how long, but long enough for Yang to start complaining about how bored she was and for Blake to even suggest stopping to grab a tea. It didn't take us much longer to find a small coffee shop to sit down at. It was still mostly warm outside -the weather apparently would only get colder at night, not that I would know- so we sat in the patio at a small table with four chairs. We weren't the only ones outside though. No, there was another group of women, maybe in their 3800's... no, umm... I don't know how to gauge human ages. Middle aged? Late middle-aged? They had wrinkles and greying hair.

And there was a young couple about Yang's age. The boy's tail swished as he spoke with his girlfriend, who took a sip from her cup and ran a hand through her long white hair. Wait, white hair?

"Weiss!" I shouted, knocking my chair backwards and racing over to hug the girl.

"Get off of me you dolt!" She admonished, though returned the hug.

"This must be the famous Ruby Rose. Sup," came the grinning faunus boy seated across from her.

"I can't believe you didn't notice me when you came and sat down." Weiss huffed, "it has not been near long enough to forget who I am."

"I don't think anyone could forget who you are ice princess," Yang laughed, walking over to us.

"Hey!"

This was so amazing! We found Weiss! Weiss was here and she was safe and sound. She looked healthy, no cuts or scrapes or bruises of any kind. But the faunus! It was the rapscallion that Weiss wanted to follow.

"You're the rapscallion!" I shouted, pointing at the monkey faunus, who could only chuckle.

"It seems like my fame precedes me."

"Ruby, Yang, Blake... fourth girl whose name alludes me, this is Sun Wukong, student from Haven Academy."

"Hey, heard lots about you all. Nice to finally put some faces to names."

"You're... talking to a faunus?" Blake could ask, clearly in some sort of shock.

"I don't see why not. Talking with him has been truly informative." Weiss replied, sipping her coffee.

"No, nu-uh. You don't get to run off for three fu- flipping days and play it off like it was no problem." Yang glared at Weiss, her eyes flickering red. "Do you know how worried sick we all were? We spent every single day searching for you. I don't think Ruby slept at all since you left. I know I barely did. Every time I woke up, I could hear her outside, pacing the hall. And now you're just sitting there like it's nothing? No calls, no texts, just silence. We all thought you were hurt! Or worse!"

Weiss shrunk into her seat, not allowing herself to look into Yang's eyes. I know I was worried sick, but I still couldn't shake the fact that Yang had woken up multiple times throughout the night and I didn't even notice it. Did she see me? No, she would have said something... Back to Weiss. I gave her another hug. "We were all so scared. You don't know how happy I was to get your message. We all couldn't wait until tonight. We had to see you sooner than that. Just to make sure you were safe."

"Really? All of you? Even you?" Weiss looked shocked, as her gaze swept through the three of us.

"Especially me," I said with a firm nod. "I am so so so so sorry about what I said to you. It was mean and rude and I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore-"

"Ruby, I needed to hear that. I-I deserved everything you said to me. I was wrong. I knew my family operated in a legal and moral grey zone and yet I was still trying to take the high road. I want to apologize to you for that. And to you as well, Blake. I know how much you support faunus rights and yet I still coaxed you and berated you for your justifiable opinions. After talking with Sun these passed few days, I know better now just how wrong I was -I am-. Can you forgive me?"

Blake stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Of course."

I raised an eyebrow when Blake looked my way. She flinched. "I-I guess I have something to apologize for as well."

Looking around, she sucked in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "I have something I should have told all of you much earlier. But, I wanted all of you to get to know me for me, before politics or... anything else came into play. I'm a faunus."

"What?!" Yang shouted before I had a chance to shush her. "Rubes, you knew?"

I nodded, "I found out a little while ago. Though, I guess it sorta just slipped out."

"I promise when we get back to Beacon I will tell you everything about me and why I guess I went a little overboard when you mentioned the White Fang. But for now, that's me. I'm a faunus."

Blake wiggled her ears underneath her bow. I giggled at the sight.

"It's my fault too. I also became a little too heated during that discussion," Weiss replied. "I have some history with the White Fang that is incredibly hard to shake, but I will tell all of you that when we return to Beacon, as well. But not today. We have something important to do. Since you all arrived early, I guess we should share with you all what we found out."

"Sun here discovered that the White Fang are planning to purchase dust and weapons from an unknown supplier. I didn't want to return to Beacon or to you without showing, in some small way that I don't hate faunus. I... was raised with incredibly biased views against them thanks to my father, but I truly don't hate them. I wanted to show all of you that I could differentiate between the faunus and the White Fang and I saw this as my opportunity to do so. But, then we found out just how big the area was, that the sale was happening at, and I knew we would need support. That was why I messaged you before and not after the event." Her head fell.

"I'm just glad you are safe." I smiled down at her. Once more, I gave her a hug. It was then joined by Yang, and then Blake. Team RWBY was back together and we were gonna kick some major butt.

* * *

**More of a build-up chapter than anything else. A needed one of course, but still not as interesting as I would have liked.**

**dragonqueen1993 - Glad you found it interesting**

**lasereye27 - I really enjoyed writing for Weiss. Will definitely need to do that again in the future.**

**FN75 - Spoilers. ;)**

**Sonochu - Thank you for the review. The story will indeed change from standard RWBY canon and will begin changing a lot more and a lot faster very soon. But, I still wanted to lay the groundwork of the world, as well as some minor changes to the characters before things started going crazy. Some things will inevitably remain the same, but this story has a clear ending in mind. As for your suggestions for endings, I cannot say anything about what I have planned, but know that the ending had been thought out long before the first chapter was posted.**

**Alucard45 - All I can say is a promise that Penny is not a bot. You will either love her or hate her. Stay tuned!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Hello.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Dusk had descended on the docks as we all got into position, scrolls at the ready. Weiss and Sun, Yang and Blake, and me and Penny all crouched at our assigned spots. Assigned by me, because I was a leader and a great one at that! Okay, fine. We voted on the teams and I got stuck with Penny because she kept on calling me 'friend' and I think she scared everybody else. But I chose where we would be positioned! No, it was Blake and Weiss, but I helped! A little...

We all had our roles. Our jobs. So cool! Who would think a Reaper would have a huntress job? I was on look-out. It sounded so important. I got to... well, look out for meanies and baddies and stuff. Keep my team safe and all. I was the team leader and only one with any sort of scope on my weapon, so it made sense. I knew Crescent Rose would come in handy!

But there we were, all crouching. Through Crescent Rose's scope, I took a peak in the direction of humans -faunus- approaching from the dock's abandoned warehouses. Almost as soon as they got to the metal containers, a human -a human-human- joined the fray. I squinted and racked my brain for why he looked so familiar. And then he removed his bowler hat to wipe at his red hair and swing his cane around freely.

"Mr. Torchwick," I muttered under my breath. What was he doing here? He could ruin everything!

"Well how'd you all do, my fine, furry friends. As you can see right behind me, I have been on a sort of winning streak. Being faced with my very mortality tends to do that sort of thing. For me, that means I'm stuck with a bunch of weapons and dust I stole for the hell of it and now have nowhere to put them. For you, it means some quality goods at cheap, cheap prices."

The White Fang members, all in their weird Grimm-like masks, looked at each other, some nodding, others smirking. Why would anybody want to look like Grimm? The one who was probably the leader stepped forward, "what else you got?"

Mr. Torchwick chuckled heartily , "if you got the lien, I got some great prizes for you. Course, these things over here don't come cheap. I had to outsource some of their collection to others, no not you animals. Neo!"

A short girl with multi-coloured hair suddenly appeared beside the suave criminal mastermind. With her pink umbrella, she whacked at something inside the metal container. It started to shake and I heard the unmistakable chirping and squeaking of what was inside.

"Peris" Mr. Torchwick's words reflected my own.

I glanced back at Penny, who was still crouched beside me, quiet yet focused on the men in front of us. My scroll buzzed as I received a message from Sun.

_Did he say Peris?_

I sent back a confirmation reply. He had captured a Peris. Friendly spirits to be sure, but tricky ones at that. In all my life, I had only seen a Peris from a distance. Let's just say that ancient spirits forced to remain on Remnant don't take too kindly to beings whose sole purpose it is to help souls pass through the divide. Not that I wouldn't help them if i could... just... it's not possible to Reap a soul from a body without a body to Reap from.

"Perri here is my finest. My piece de resistance. My creme de la cream or however they say it. He's had a busy few days handing out requests to pass on. And oh golly is he close. That means that he still owes humanity, maybe three favours. He's stuck here until those three favours are granted and I am his oh so generous benefactor, finding him his final master to serve."

There were smiles all around, as Mr. Torchwick continued explaining his wares. It wasn't just dust and weapons. He had Salemites as well. Nothing as powerful as the Peris, but a few household brownies and a supposed map to the Atlesian Mountain Witch or something. Who I might add, was neither Atlesian, nor a witch. I shuddered, Atlas sucked. The faunus didn't seem particularly intrigued with those things, not that I could blame them. Brownies were useful to humans, but not the smartest of creatures.

"I am sorry, my furry friends. That little item isn't for sale." I heard Mr. Torchwick shutting a container of some sort with a loud snap before he began talking, causing the White Fang leader to take a step back, scowl on his face.

"Why not?"

"It's much too powerful for you and incredibly out of your price range. Besides, there is already a perspective buyer."

"You would sell us the Peris and not that? How could that little thing be worth more than-" he stopped for a second, his features showing his sudden realization. "That's a syren."

"Not JUST a syren. That my dears, is a syren hatchling. Pulled away from her mama and papa and ready to have her song molded to her buyer's content. But the Peris is more up your alley anyways. Who wouldn't want to give a creature of angelic power orders?"

"Think what we could do with that." Said one faunus operative, his mind still obviously on the syren.

"We'd never have any traitors anymore."

"Traitors, shmaitors, we get it to give the right song, we could have the White Fang take over Vale without firing a single shot," replied another. "We could turn humans into slaves and have them willingly accept their role in society."

I saw movement. The members of the White Fang, all fifteen of them, were humming their approval. And Mr. Torchwick was just lazily twirling his cane. More movement, almost akin to shadow travel-

Oh.

Oh no.

Blake leaped down into the gaggle -group? team? tribe- of terrorists, ripping off her bow and revealing her cat ears. "Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you consorting with this human? Why are you considering forcing these creatures to do you bidding, like slavers. Doesn't the White Fang stand against slavery and helping human criminal scum?"

"Hey, I resent that. I am a human master criminal, thank you very much." Mr. Torchwick chimed, leaning heavily on his cane with a satisfied expression. "And the animals and I have come to quite a pleasant working relationship. Why don't you take care of the twerp for me and everything is five percent off. Pleasure doing business with you."

Blake gasped in shock.

"Help her!" I shouted, allowing Yang and Sun to rush to her aid while I watched for any more signs of trouble.

At once, Yang came in fists a blazing, firing shot after shot from her gauntlets towards the masked assailants. One jumped out of the way, only to be caught in a torrent of ice from Weiss. I could only smile at the sight. One down, only a whole bunch more to go. Now, if only I could keep out of the fight without Mr. Torchwick seeing me...

Blake twirled and twisted around Fang members, heading towards Mr. Torchwick, Sun only steps behind her. I saw Mr. Torchwick grit his teeth as he flipped his cane around, propelling the hook forward, and giving it a jerk as it found it's place behind Sun's knee. He buckled and fell into a roll. Wow, that was a pretty good move. The three huntresses and huntsman in training were doing quite well against the White Fang, but against Mr. Torchwick? I knew they didn't have a chance.

It surprised me how agile he was, ducking and weaving around strikes from Sun's staff-gun-nunchucku -so awesome!- weapon, as if it were nothing. Add to that, using his cane to strike at Blake just as she appeared at his side with her semblance... How in Salem's wisdom was he so injured when I met him?

I turned to Penny, who was staring at the ensuing fight with childlike glee, her eyes wide and unblinking, her smile showing sparkling white teeth, cheeks stretched to their absolute limit. Maybe passed it. Her eyes darted to me, the rest of her head not moving at all.

"Fighting. Blood. Hunger? Penny is full, but I am hungry."

"Penny?"

Her head began to twist. Her ear touched her shoulder and her smile only grew larger. Then it continued. Turning, flipping upside down. Her body bent unnaturally, collapsing into itself so she stood on her hands and feet, stomach in the air. Her bright red hair, once tied in a tight bun, now hung loose, touching the roof under her. It swung as she moved forward, her entire body bobbing and cracking unnaturally.

"Penny?"

"Salutations! I am Penny Polendina. I am sixteen years old and I would so love to become a huntress!" Her voice was cheery and young. She sounded so much younger than she did before. "Oh, father. Father. Will you let me go to school in Atlas Academy just as you did? You will? You wish to hug me first? Of course I will hug you. Oh father, you are the best father ever! I promise not to let you down. What? What is that? Are aren't father. Father! Please help me!"

Her piercing scream echoed through the docks, as the fighting stopped and all eyes were on her. No, it.

And then, it blinked. A slow blink, eyes deliberately closing her sparkling and happy green eyes. Only to reveal glowing red.

"Penny?" I asked one last time. What was she? No.. it couldn't be. Could it?

It lifted a hand out slowly. "Penny is not home right now."

Her arm shot forward, skin ripping, sending blood splattering around and bone cracking as her hand and wrist, only attached by tendon and blood vessel rocketed through the closest member of the White Fang, nearly 20 feet away. It punched a hole clear through his shoulder and he collapsed with only a whimper. It was silent for a moment.

Just a moment.

"Skin-Crawler!" The faunus leader screamed as all hell broke loose.

The skin-crawler in Penny's body leaped from her spot on the solid ground, still bent at an awkward angle. It's limbs tore out from Penny's body, flying forward as long whips, striking at anything in its path. A leg pinged off a metal container, leaving a large dent. A knee hit Sun's block, sending him flying. A hand grabbed on to a faunus, tearing his arm from its socket as he screamed it pain.

All the while, it howled that piercing scream. A cross between pure rage and a dying shriek.

It was all happening so fast. Team RWBY and Sun were no longer fighting the White Fang or Mr. Torchwick. No, they banded together to fight against this creature of the Higher Order. It was too powerful to fight alone.

But not for me.

So why was I still standing there? Stuck in place, watching as my friends got hurt. As they tired themselves out facing an opponent that powerful trained huntsmen had trouble defeating. As the blood seeped through the cracks in the stone and whimpers of fear and tears filled the eyes of the dying.

There was pressure. So much pressure. That amazing pulsing feeling. My heart quickened, each beat increasing in strength and tempo as I watched those humans in the White Fang get thrown around. I was breathing quickly. Unconsciously licking my lips. I knew I was running out of time on this ancient vampire soul. When would I get another chance like this? Another chance to Reap? There were so many of them. None of them were particularly old, but together they could buy me a little more time. Maybe a week or two. But it would be enough. Enough for now. I felt sweat beading on my forehead and my body temperature start to cool. I looked at my friends, all fighting fiercely in desperation. Penny flipped out of reach, sending giant metal shipping containers flying around her. I heard the Peris shriek in her cage.

Yang went in for a strike, slamming her fist into the creature's chest, only to be flung across the docks by something which had once been a leg.

Its smile tore through her cheeks, leaving blood around Penny's face. I saw Mr. Torchwick start to run.

"Ruby!" Yang called out in desperation, a limb rocketing towards Weiss.

I knew what needed to be done. I threw myself from my perch, unfurling my weapon as I fell. With a solid strike, I cleaved through the tendons of the skin-crawler's outstretched limb. It screamed in agony and rage. Not in pain, but because it couldn't reach its target. Weiss gave me a nod of thanks as she rejoined the fight.

The pulsing filled my ears. Four minutes. Ninety-three seconds. Eighty-eight seconds. Six and a half minutes. The lifespans of the dying men filled my mind as they were bleeding out. I let loose a volley of gunfire at the Salemite, yet it continued rushing ahead, not even bothering to pay me a glance. I was running out of time.

"Keep it distracted! I'm going to get help!" I shouted, flying off in a wave of petals made from shadow. Hoping somebody had heard me over the inferno which was starting to blaze.

I heard the fighting in the distance. I stopped and looked back, panting hard. Realizing nobody was around to see me, I stopped panting. No point in wasting my time with that.

"Little Red, is that you?" I turned to Mr. Torchwick.

"Long time, Mr. Torchwick." I gave him a small smile.

He was battered and bruised. A gash left blood on his cheek and there seemed to be dirt on his bowler hat. Not to mention his normally pristine white coat. "Is Neo gone? She could be incredibly useful against a Salemite as powerful as a skin-crawler."

He gave me a half-chuckle, as he shuddered, gripping a wound on his arm. "Not the most powerful one here."

I shrugged.

"I sent her away the moment that thing attacked us. She knows to come back for me if I give the signal."

"Why send her away at all?"

"Our employer would probably find it interesting that a higher order Salemite found its way into Vale without anybody noticing. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. They did let a Reaper in as well," he said with a grin.

"You know our deal. I kept you alive-"

"And I forge your transcripts, birth certificate, Beacon fight, the whole shebang-"

"And you don't tell anyone, including your employer, whoever it is, that Reapers can live among humans."

Mr. Torchwick whistled, "I am sitting on the mother of all riches with that bit of information, I'll have you know. Would be a shame if word got out."

"Would be a shame if you happened to die."

"And you said Reapers can't kill."

I shook my head, "I said Reapers don't kill. Shouldn't kill. But, it's technically not killing if I happen to bring you back to the skin-crawler and have you help us try to defeat it."

Mr. Torchwick glowered. "You've been around us humans too long, picking up some dirty tricks." He shrugged, "fine. What do you want from me."

"Get in touch with the huntsmen, or the police and have them come here. Try to stall them for a bit, I need some time."

Mr. Torchwick nodded, muttering something about needing a hard drink after seeing me again, and I let the change overcome me. The sky grew darker and Mr. Torchwick took an involuntary step back; his shadow leaving his frame and pulling into me. Every shadow was pulled to me. My hood darkened and filled out into a true thick black cloak. My pale skin became even more so. Then nearly translucent. My eyes changed from silver to ruby red, piercing and sparkling in the dark as if it were the only source of light present. All other light dimmed.

Mr. Torchwick let out half a shriek of terror before he fell into a calm silence. I looked at him. I knew there was some fear behind that now-calm demeanor, but there was also acceptance. He had no choice but to accept. If that was truly what I had wanted. But no. Not him. He still had forty-seven years, give or take four months before his natural death. There were those dying here and now. Those humans with their masks like Grimm, blood seeping from their torn limbs and aching bones. One had already succumbed to the blood loss. I felt sorry for him. Dying without a Reaper was a truly horrific way to go.

My bare feet left the ground as I sailed towards the sounds of fighting and shrieks of despair. Shadow pooled around my finger tips, lengthening into the tool of my species. The gleaming dark silver metal finished forming around that sleek black staff I had come to know and love over the many decades I had used it. My scythe.

I first saw the monkey faunus, flipping over top an attack from the skin-crawler.

"Reaper!" Came the shout from the white-haired girl, before my gaze paralyzed her in place. I smiled slightly, but inside I wished her well. It was fear which paralyzed her. Not any sort of magic I might possess. My aura of calmness could not reach far enough to properly affect her. I wished my mouth could move properly. She stumbled and fell, eyes still fastened on me.

I moved over to her. She was my friend. I knew her. I had to make sure she was safe. As I descended next to her, I reached out to her hands, helping her back to her feet. I smiled at her and squeezed her hands gently. She was going to be alright. No bumps or bruises. Safe. I would make sure of it.

But first, I needed to Reap.

The skin-crawler's head, now detached and hanging from powerful tendons and muscles many feet from the rest of the body spun to face me, that ever present smile turning into a frown. I paid it no mind. There was no intelligence behind those angry eyes and blood-curling scream. No way to think and act against me. It was useless. Weak. Everything was, in the face of those that walk alongside Death.

Those faunus whom had fallen. Who were dying, coughing up blood. That was my sole focus. They may be terrorists in the eyes of fellow humans, but to me, they were living the lives they wanted to. Helping the world in their own way. Continuing the story that was the life of this world. That's what mom told me. My presence soothed them as I approached. I leaned down, allowing a hand to rest on one dying man's. He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. "I'm not ready. Please," he whispered.

I could only give him a small smile, filled with as much emotion as I could. I wanted to tell him that I understood his pain. That I was there to make his passing easier. Our hands tightened against each other and he took one last shaky breath before nodding at me and closing his eyes. He was ready. As ready as one could ever be. I leaned my scythe down and gently plucked his soul from his torso. His hand loosened on my own, but I held firm until I felt his soul pass.

I stood up as he slumped over. There were five more waiting to be Reaped.

I felt pressure on the back of my skull. Turning to see what it was, I noticed the Salemite shrieking, pulling back from an attack on me. I could only shake my head as its limb rocketed towards me. The limb went straight through me. I held my smile as I heard the limb hit whatever was behind me. Then it pulled back and I regained my tangibility. I turned back to my work. That Salemite was most bothersome, but I had humans -faunus- to Reap. It bounded towards me on it's long extremities, shrieking. I let it draw near. It was wasting my time. I swung my scythe, letting the flat part of the blade strike the creature. It soared away, slamming into the mass of containers across the dock, others collapsing down on it.

It was hard seeing so many faces pass to whatever was beyond. They were all scared. Maybe of me at first, but then of what came next. I understood that fear; I sympathized with it. That fear of the unknown. I just knew it was a better place than this. It had to be. Mom said there was no pain over there. I hope what she said was true. That they could still look down on us and watch over us. I hoped mom was watching me. I was doing the best I could.

As I Reaped the final soul, helping the slumped body to the ground with care, I turned back to the skin-crawler. Back to the humans -no, my friends- petrified. To them, it was two higher order Salemites in one location. I heard somebody shout something.

"Where is she?!" Oh, it was Yang that spoke. Why was she crying and shaking so?

"Where is my sister? Did you kill her, you monster?"

I didn't know what I could have said at that point, even if I could. I sent out shadow, letting them wrap around her and fill her with my calming embrace. I heard her tear-filled heavy breathing slow. I gave a soft smile. She was going to be alright.

"Aargh!" Yang screamed rushing forward, breaking free from my hold as her semblance ignited, striking at my shoulder. She attacked mercilessly. I dodged where I could, but she was fast. So fast. Attack after attack. Her eyes blazing red and hair alight in flame. She hit my torso, I didn't budge. "Where is my baby sister, you Reaper! I will kill you!"

How could she break free from my presence? Why wasn't she calming down? Was this some ancient magic coming back to Remnant after generations? No, that only happened in stories. Was this a side-affect of what I did to her? No, it couldn't be. I did that to so many others and none of them were like this.

Was it love?

Amid the pointless attacks made by my human-sister against me, I heard the sounds of bullheads approaching. That must be Mr. Torchwick's reinforcements. My attention turned back to Yang, just in time to block a strike for my neck with my scythe. With the glimmer of unshedable tears in my eyes, I floated up and out of her reach. All the while she screamed at me. Begging for her sister's life. Begging for my life to be spared from the Reaper's clutches. It was heart-breaking to see her so sad and scared.

As the bullheads landed and huntsmen leaped out to finish the battle with the skin-crawler, I found a place to hide.

It only took a second to regain my human appearance, but it was like everything hit me at once. I noticed how cold it was outside and I couldn't help but to laugh. It was cold! I was feeling the cold again!

"Yang," I gasped, rushing back to the docks. I threw myself at my sister, tackling her to the floor. "Yang!"

"Ruby!" She replied, behind tears.

"I'm so sorry!" I felt my eyes glisten. We stared at each other, hugging. While the sounds of that dying Salemite filled the air around us. That monster. That thing which had once been Penny, had died. As much as a thing like that could die.

"All of you get on the bullhead." Came an order from a huntsman. I helped Yang up and onto the airship, before returning to help Weiss, who had a noticeable limp. Blake and Sun held onto each other as they stepped towards the ship.

"Team ORNG, Team COPR, find any animals you can and burn them. Teams SAPR, BAAG and ZRCN, make sure the blaze continues to spread through the immediate surroundings but doesn't reach the civilian quarters. We need to make sure nothing is left living in the area. If any humans are nearby, perform the regular tests. If they fail, exterminate with extreme caution. Find the caged daemons and angels.." The many huntsmen and huntresses followed his orders and proceeded on their missions as he belted them out. Our bullhead ascended.

We were all quiet. That was not how we thought the night was going to go.

"I'm sorry I brought you in-into this. It.. it's my faul-" Weiss broke down into tears and sobs before she could finish. Yang placed an arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. We all joined them.

It was a lot for them to take in. I felt Yang holding onto me tightly, but even with the discomfort, I allowed it. I knew what she was going through. I knew what they all were going through. Tears fell freely among the team and Sun. Higher Order were no laughing matter.

Reapers were on a whole other level.

I felt a twinge of guilt. I wish there was something more I could do.

But for now, I buried my head into Blake's shoulder and continued the hug for as long as I could.

* * *

**And this wraps up the climax for this arc. I know you all probably have a lot of questions and I will be happy to answer them. This arc is an important one. This isn't the Remnant you are used to. PS. I wrote the outline for this arc before RWBY V7 came out.**

**dragonqueen1993 - Heh, still have a long way to go for that.**

**Alucard45 - Hopefully this was a satisfying little bit of kicking butt.**

**lasereye27 - Keep looking out for those little changes. ;)**

**snoopykid - Secrets tend to come out in the most inopportune moments.**

**ProDutchChees - Not a werewolf! Funny enough, out of all the monsters I looked up and stuck into this story, werewolves were one of the few I intentionally left out. Skin Crawlers are a lot of fun to write.**

**Sm0keyPanda - I know! Penny is adorable.**

**Guest - I can promise you now. One of your three guesses is correct. :)**

**FN75 - 2 down, 2 to go! Higher Order and Grimm are a little different. We already know that Ruby doesn't really have Grimm colouration (well, she does had a black hood and red eyes in Reaper form, but not always), so who's to say that isn't true for all Higher Order? Or any non-Grimm magical creatures? And there is no way I'm going to mention Higher Order creatures and not reveal them all. They are just too much fun to write.**

**AssassinAkame - Glad you are enjoying it! As of now, I'm unsure if Winter will appear, but who knows what the future holds?**

**AHH! This story has reached over 300 followers! You guys know what that means? A double chapter week! I will see you all again on Thursday!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Here we go again.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 18**

* * *

Days at Beacon had become a lull for Team RWBY. I slept next to Yang those first few nights, letting her cuddle with me like she remembered us doing during her youth. It became a common sight that week following the situation at the docks, to have one of my teammates crying out in the middle of the night or break down in tears during class. It was why Ozpin offered our team the rest of the week off. I still went to class. I had to. It was my fault that they were all like this.

My fault.

I did what I could for them. When they refused to eat, I forced them to. Coffee for Weiss, tea for Blake and hot chocolate for Yang every morning. A second one of each right before bed. I took rigorous notes in classes I shared with them and spent the weening hours of the night copying them meticulously into each of their notebooks. When one of them twisted and turned in their fitful sleep, or called out, I was by their side, holding their hand and gently stroking their hair. I barely slept anyways. If they needed me, even a little, I would move the world itself to help them.

When things were truly bad and Blake or Weiss shouted out a name, I changed into my Reaper form, keeping myself hidden as I let my closeness and presence calm them down. I did the same for Yang too. My power seemed to be working now.

And in those few hours of sleep I managed, I woke up with dry tears on my cheeks and redness around my eyes. I had done this to them. I had brought Penny along. I didn't find out what Penny was, that night. I couldn't find Weiss in that city. I let Weiss run away from us. I yelled at Weiss.

My fault.

Sun had been absent those days. Weiss told me he was staying in Beacon, waiting for the rest of his teammates to arrive in the coming days, but I hadn't seen him since that night. No sight of him around the school nor in any of the classes. I couldn't do anything to even try and help him. I wished I could. I did this to him too.

My fault.

Ozpin's voice brought me out of my stupor. "Combat History 101 often looks back through history, focusing on tactics utilized by huntsmen and huntresses of years long gone by. I have discussed with you all about how teams of two, four and eight have combated large numbers of Grimm as well as some Salemites of the higher order, such as vampires and witches. There is a reason this course is provided only to leaders in their first year, as well as all those among us whom have chosen it for their second year."

The headmaster took a slow sip from his mug, remaining silent along with the rest of the class.

"You all have seen the local news. One among us here today was there to experience it firsthand. As such, Professor Port has agreed to join me today to discuss some things not often covered during the first or even second years of study here. It is imperative that you pay attention. Ask questions if and when you have them. Professor."

The headmaster gestured for Professor port to take center stage, which he did, but not with his usual happy-go-lucky bouncing steps.

"I do tell a great many stories in my classes, young students, about my brilliance and strength and ingenuity in combat against the greatest of Grimm and Salemites. One time, -excuse me headmaster-" He allowed himself a breath to calm down. "But, rarely do I truly introduce myself. I am quite a bit older than the lot of you. Many times older if I do say so myself! But in my youth, I sat in these very halls. I gained my license as a professional huntsmen and went on many grand adventures as you all have heard and will continue to hear. But, it is not for the many Grimm nor lower Salemites I have finished, that had earned me a place teaching at this fine academy. In my youth and into my middling years, I had fought against many a skin-crawler. My fellow Professor, Oobleck, and I had put together a book on the topic of that particular higher order Salemite, during my first years of teaching."

He gestured to a second year raising is hand. I couldn't remember his name nor place his face on any particular team. "What's so special about the book?"

"Why, it tells of all that I had learned while combating such a monster. The first visual records of what it looks like when a skin-crawler takes possession of a new body. As well as some basic calculations, for which I had much help in analyzing, which predicted the number of months a skin-crawler had been living inside a particular body based on its speech patterns and certain other defining characteristics. Ms. Rose, may I ask you to come up beside me? I would like to ask you some questions regarding the speech of the skin-crawler you fought. If you feel uncomfortable, please stay seated. Do not fret if you are nervous, facing such a beast at such an age is a remarkable accomplishment."

Yes. Accomplishment. I had led a skin-crawler straight to my team.

My fault.

I looked around the class. Jaune was there, giving me a nervous glance which told me he would respect whatever decision I made. Others were looking at me curiously. There were so many second years. And those from third and fourth. More than usual for this class. Maybe it got around what this class was going to be about. It definitely did not among the first years. I don't think I would have showed up if I knew what was going to happen this lecture.

Slowly, I rose from my seat, my chair squeaking loudly against the tiled floor and silence of the room. My steps were loud as well, as I walked towards the professor and headmaster. Headmaster Ozpin gave me a small smile and a nod of support. I gulped back my fear and took a seat at the front of the room across from Professor Port.

"My dear. If at any time you wish to stop, do not hesitate to do so. I understand that I am asking you to share such memories, but it is for an important reason." The professor's huge mustache curled upwards, as if he was smiling underneath it.

I nodded and took a deep breath. My voice came out shaky and quieter than I wanted it to be. "H-her name was Penny. I bumped into her while walking through Vale with my teammates. We thought she was a little strange. Her sentences weren't co-complete and she repeated phrases and greetings. She also talked as if she wasn't Penny. But, sometimes she did. Y-Yang, my sister, noticed she wasn't blinking."

"First and third person difficulties, phrase repetition." The professor repeated, letting the class jot down the words in their notebooks. "Continue, my dear."

I nodded. "We met again at night... also in Vale," I lied. It wouldn't be good to share how a higher order Salemite had not only been in Beacon, but got inside without notice. I had to tell someone. But... maybe just the headmaster. Safer that way.

"She didn't say much. Just hello and goodbye. There... there..." I let out a shuddering breath. That's what Weiss did when she was scared to talk about Reaper-me to the police. I felt the headmaster's hand on my shoulder, showing his support. "There was blood on her hand. I didn't know what it was from, but she was an odd person. Maybe it was red paint? Or strawberry jam? Or anything else? Who has blood on their hands? Heh heh."

"What was she like then?"

"Aside from the hand, more normal. She said hello when I saw her and goodbye when she left. No repetition."

"Lack of repetition and congruent speech patterns. The skin-crawler most likely fed, judging by the blood."

"Then when we saw her again, it was the night of the attack. She was a bit more normal, sort of. At first she spoke slowly. Then when I asked her questions, she answered me. Said she was combat ready?"

I looked between the professor and headmaster for any recognition of the phrase.

"There is a good chance that miss Penny commonly used such a phrase during her lifetime. Skin-crawlers are known to pick on such phrases to give them an air of familiarity." The headmaster mentioned.

"Then we were at the docks. And the attack happened. And then I... the Reaper showed up."

"Thank you miss Rose, please take your seat." As I did so, the professor went to the black board to jot down the notes he had mentioned.

"First, miss Rose noticed lack of blinking, improper speech patterns and speaking in first and third person. Then there was most likely a feeding, after which its speech improved greatly. Judging by the first interaction, we know that the Salemite most likely had Penny's body for at minimum a year. If the body was fresh, there would be no confusion in language. And the lack of blinking tells a similar story. Blinking often stops at around the fifteen and eighteen month mark. After a feeding, the voice and mannerisms improved, but not completely. These are telltale signs of body decay. Penny had most likely died at minimum fifteen months ago. At most three years."

The professor looked around the classroom, ensuring everyone was paying attention to what he was about to say next. "Students, it is important to know that Skin Crawlers do not share the body with their hosts. It is graphic to be sure, but these Salemites feed on the body's internals, claiming the space for their own. If you run into this Salemite still in its human form, it is best to kill it quickly. The actual person is already dead. No matter what they say or emotions they show. It is the Skin Crawler making those faces."

"Professor?" I raised my hand, "before Penny... before the skin-crawler's arm attacked, Penny's voice got higher and she was muttering something. Like a conversation with her father?"

"What did she say, try to be as exact as possible." The professor stared at me. even headmaster Ozpin seemed to get more serious.

"I don't remember all of it. Just that she said her name was Penny Polendina and she is-was sixteen years old. She was excited to go to school in Atlas? Atlas Academy? Her father was letting her go. And then she said she wasn't home anymore."

The headmaster sighed and shook his head. "I... I have a call to make to General Ironwood. Please excuse me."

He left without another word, all eyes following him out the door.

"Miss Rose most likely heard a snippet of miss Penny's final conversation. She died at the age of sixteen. That was most likely between fifteen months and three years ago. Were I to have more information, particularly snippets of conversation recorded, this amount could be narrowed down further, but from my best guess, I would place control over the body between one and a half and two years. Though that is purely my opinion. Class, skin-crawlers do indeed roam the wilderness of Remnant, but so too do they inhabit the kingdoms and towns themselves. It is by luck that we know they are few in number and how to properly identify them. Attacks of skin-crawlers in the kingdoms are not ordinary, but make no mistake, they are not un-ordinary either. All kingdoms have rules in place and teams of huntsmen on standby which deal with threats such as those, which I am sure miss Rose can attest to."

"What is of note, is the sighting of a Grim Reaper in Vale. While we know for certain that Reapers lurk all across the kingdom, they often attack from the shadows, without being seen. They tend to choose weaker prey, those of old age or those that are sick or on the verge of death. But, with the sighting of a Reaper in broad daylight -so to speak- it paints a picture that they may soon change their tactics and methods of attack."

I sank low in my seat. What did I do?

"The last documented sighting of a Reaper inside Vale happened many years ago. Actually it happened when our dear headmaster was sitting where you currently do now."

I sank even lower, a blush emerging on my face. Oh Salem, why me?

"We now must be more vigilant. These next few weeks during this class, professor Ozpin and I will focus mainly on Grim Reapers and skin-crawlers. While these topics are often discussed in your later years of studies, it seems prudent to keep you all informed now. Make no mistake, the skin-crawler that attacked the docks was most definitely a young one in an old body. It was a weak one to deal with. And as I have stated before to all of you, even I do not go up against Reapers. Just because you feel confident in your abilities as students here at Beacon Academy, does not mean you are ready to handle the highest of the Higher Order. With that, class is dismissed. If you are in my regular class, make sure to have your homework completed and..."

The professor continued to talk, telling everyone to do their homework and to prepare for whatever new stories he had to tell. I wasn't listening, nor did I particularly care at the moment. I had bought myself another week of full human senses, but it might have cost me everything. I chastised myself for my impulsiveness. I should have waited. I still had time. I had only lost my ability to sense heat! Salem, damn me. Why did I have to be so brash. So.. so... stupid. And now I might have unintentionally put the entire kingdom on high alert.

I scarred my team for life and now I most likely ruined my future chances of sneaking into Vale and Reaping. It's all my fault.

I needed help. No, I needed protection. I needed to become stronger.

No more waiting around or getting sidetracked by useless human drama. I needed a territory and I needed it now.

The headmaster's office was my final stop for the day. He needed to know. I needed to know how. Out of everything that had happened during that time, it was the one thing that truly scared me. I had used my magic that night. I know I did. Even if I didn't, Penny was _there_. No, she was _there_ and she _murdered_ someone without me knowing about it. I should have known. I should have felt something.

Shouldn't I?

"Miss Rose?" I heard Ozpin call from inside his office, just as my fist was hovering in front of the door.

"Yes, sir." I squeaked in reply. Opening up the door, I saw him, sitting behind his desk, like he usually did.

Something was off about him though. His hair was a little messier and his glasses were resting on the desk instead of on his nose. He was leaning forward, allowing his chin to rest in his hands. He was tired.

"I must apologize for my current state. I had to have a hard conversation with a close friend and colleague of mine. The man happened to be the godfather of miss Polendina. Apparently the girl had run away from home quite a time ago and he had been looking for her ever since"

I nodded. I didn't know what I could do. Well, not in this form at least. Would it be a mercy if I made him forget her? Would it be a mercy if I changed his memories of the situation? No, maybe not. Penny would still be dead and she had still been inhabited by a skin-crawler for a long time.

Long before I met her.

Another pang in my chest as I remembered Weiss breaking down on the bullhead. Of Yang attacking in a rage, against me in order to protect me. Of Blake who was doing everything she could to hold in her pain to take care of the two of them. Even if I knew she was taking it just as hard as they were.

My fault.

All my fault.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, breaking me from my downward spiral of thoughts.

"Oh, umm, I lied during class today and I wanted you to know about it." I couldn't look him in the eyes.

"It is alright to feel nervous and it is alright to lie about something you don't feel comfortable with speaking about. We all have our secrets. Yours and mine may be large in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn't make all secrets bad. Or unneeded."

"You know?" I blurted out. Headmaster Ozpin smiled for the first time since I arrived in his office and took a sip from his mug.

"What do I know?" The headmaster spoke from behind his drink.

I shook my head. Now wasn't the time. "I didn't meet Penny the second time in Vale. She was here. In Beacon. In-in my dormitory. Her hand was covered in blood and she was in Beacon. H-has.. has anybody been found dead at Beacon recently?"

The headmaster made no sound and I was in no mood to interrupt the silence which hung between us. I was hoping he had an answer. He HAD to have an answer for me. If it happened on the other side of campus, or in another building, and happened before I used my shadows then _maybe_ it would be alright. And that would be a very, very hard maybe. I should know when people were dying. It was my thing. My whole flubbering purpose in life. It was literally what I lived for.

Find those dying, Reap their souls. Help them pass from this world to the next. Rinse and repeat. I knew I couldn't reach everyone and I could force myself to keep from changing or even searching for a time, but I still usually knew. And this not knowing?

I think I now understood the fear that the rest of my team faced when facing off against the skin-crawler and Reaper-me.

"I truly wish I could tell you there has been a death on campus. Miss Ruby Rose, everyone is accounted for. But I fear this is the worst case."

* * *

**And there be the end of the stupidly named "Spoopy Arc". Why did I call it the Spoopy Arc? Because I came up with the idea in October and I was enjoying the Halloween spirit and wanted to try writing something somewhat creepy. Tell me how I did! I really need the practice... Anyways, what does that mean for Ozpin's fears about the lack of a body? Not too much since it's only a young skin-crawler and those don't really scare our cloaked hero. Why would she make a big deal about something like that? Ruby has her own much more important fears to deal with.**

**Spoilers: Most of these questions will be answered next chapter and it will be completely anticlimactic. Also, thank you all for helping this fic reach the fabled 300+ followers!**

**Sm0keyPanda - Glad you found it disturbing. And psycho-Penny is best Penny**

**Alucard45 - As explained briefly in this chapter, the Skin Crawler wears the body as a meat suit, controlling it as if the body was (and now you will see where the idea for using Penny came from) a robot. And yes, Reapers are awesome! While I don't say it outright, in Cinder's chapter, she does revert to human form to talk with Ruby (as said when she removed the hood of her cloak). For your temperature question, the answer is yes.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - I haven't seen FMA so I'm not quite sure what they look like! But I'm glad you liked it.**

**Blessings of Babylon - While I knew killing Penny off would have some push-back and shock value, she really wouldn't have ever been that important of a character. I could have had her pop in from time to time just so you remember that she's there, or I could use her death as a means to terrify our main cast and have them actually be effected by the world around them, thus adding to long-term character development.**

**lasereye27 - It's totally the superman effect.**

**JackTheSpades - Happy you enjoyed seeing Ruby Reap again. Fear responses are fun to play around with. :)**

**chinaluv - Super intense!**

**FN75 - Ya, plenty went on last chapter and a lot this chapter. Hopefully this one clears up some stuff, but stay tuned for more info about all the Salemites.**


	20. Interlude: The Skin Crawler

**REAPER IN RED**

**INTERLUDE 2: The Skin-Crawler**

* * *

He coughed. It was a forceful one. One which felt like he was hacking up a lung, burning his throat on the way up and leaving him breathless and exceedingly tired. He had told his teammates that it was probably just some stomach bug that was making it's way around campus. As stomach bugs did. It was nothing worth worrying about, not when he had projects left to finish, reports left to write and a final mission left to plan for before graduation.

And yet, even with classes continuing as usual, he coughed. His head pounded and he could feel his heart beating erratically. Sometimes his arm or leg twitched without him meaning it to. Apparently the school was performing Crawler Checks. He didn't pay it too much attention, aside from noting the school alert on his phone. He took Laws Regarding Salemites 306 in third year; commonly and lovingly referred to as 'Hunter Law 101'. He knew all about the protocols for kingdoms that have a skin crawler infestation. He enjoyed learning about it because it involved a hell of a lot of fire. It matched well with his semblance.

He could use his nails as small matchstick-sized fires. Not the most flamboyant of semblances, but he liked it. Huh, it didn't seem to be working properly. Snapping his fingers and cracking his wrist. Then he tried again, a relieved smile on his face when he saw it finally working. The flames were smaller than usual, and colder. He could feel how much weaker the flames were.

But he thought nothing more of it. He had a stomach bug, that was all.

His hand flexed itself, rolling his wrist to give it an unpleasant crack, awkward tingling filled his arm. With his other hand, he massaged himself from elbow down to fingertip. He should probably go back to his team's room. Get some rest before this bug got any worse.

Before he could raise his hand to ask to leave class, he received a ping on his scroll. Ozpin was looking for him. Well, not really. It was finally his turn for the Crawler Check.

He raised his hand, pointing to his scroll once Professor Peach noticed him. With a nod, he excused himself from class and went to the headmaster's office.

The headmaster was there, obviously. But so was an external team. One of those teams which had long since graduated from Beacon or another hunstmen academy and chose to work for the Kingdom of Vale as an anti-crawler detail. Every kingdom had a few. His own team had been thinking of spending a few years in an anti-crawler detail post graduation. It was steady employment and looked great on future resumés.

"Please, have a seat." Ozpin smiled at him and gestured towards the single chair in the center of the room. He proceeded to, and relaxed into it.

"Now, do you understand why you are here?"

He nodded and rolled his eyes. Of course he knew what he was doing there. He wasn't the first person to go through a Crawler Check. His leg spasmed, locking up from toe all the way to his waist. He shut his eyes as pain rocketed up his leg. His chest was really hurting. As was his head. And neck really. He began to lightly rub it, hoping to alleviate some tension from it.

"Do you know what this machine is?"

He nodded once more, explaining what it was, when Ozpin told him to. It was an E.E.T. an Eye Examination Tool. While he didn't understand all the science behind it, he knew that it used focused lasers to get a clear picture inside a person's eye. Then, with some fancy math, it determined if the examined person was a skin crawler or not. It was accurate with 98.3% certainty. Usually three tests were given to eliminate that uncertainty as much as possible. Doing a little bit of research into the machine, he knew that a more advanced version was developed in Atlas with a 99.7% certainty. His eyes widened when Ozpin informed him that the machine in front of him was indeed that new version of the testing system.

It surprised him how similar it looked to the older model.

Then, a member of the anti-crawler detail informed him to get ready to take the eye test. he was probably the leader. And bored to have to run these tests to the entirety of Beacon's student and staff populations. Shrugging, he agreed to start the test, giving his arm one last rub in vane to remove the numbing pain in it.

He looked into the E.E.T., angering the anti-crawler detail leader by his fit of coughs. Apologizing, he steadied himself and looked back into the device. There was a bright flash, too quick for him to react in time and blink.

Ozpin and the detail leader looked at each other, faces grim.

"Try again," Ozpin ordered. Ozpin turned to him with a shrug, "these things are often 'finicky'. Please, try to remain absolutely still while the test is being performed."

He nodded and did just that.

Again, a flashing light and again, a missed blink.

And again, Ozpin and the detail leader looked at each other.

"This is 99.7% accurate."

"I know."

"And you know what must be done."

"I know."

"Would you like me to tell him?"

He looked between the both of them, when Ozpin shook his head. "No, there is no need to tell him anything. He's already dead."

His eyes widened. He knew what was going on. They thought he was a skin crawler. How could that be? He knew who he was. He was still himself, god dammit! He told them just as much. He shouted at them about it. He was still himself. It was just a stomach bug. He was perfectly fine. There wasn't anything wrong with-

He fumbled for his words as his throat constricted itself, his entire body held in painful spasms. Pain which could not be decreased by screaming. No, he had lost the ability to speak for himself. Like his own diaphragm and throat muscles were rejecting his brain's commands to yell. To move. To fight back against the huntsmen and headmaster in the room. What was going on with his own body?

"I am sorry. You were so close to graduation. And to die by a skin crawler? It is truly a great loss for Beacon and the world. At least he will know his death was avenged."

And then he was finally able to scream.

Because his body was engulfed in flame.

* * *

**Gasp! A chapter under 2k words! Well, this chapter was filled with new things for this story. This will be the closest to an OC character this fic will have. This interlude was an addition to the story that I wrote after some incredible reviews from the last chapter. Why did I write it? because you were all curious about the skin crawler, and knowing where the rest of the arc is going, this question was only answered briefly. The skin crawler in the school issue was never one which had any real further importance to Ruby. So here we are, an interlude chapter told from the perspective of an unidentified student. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**That being said, as this was both an extra chapter and under 2k words, the actual chapter that I had written for this week will be uploaded on Thursday. So, another 2 chapter week! Hooray!**


	21. Chapter 19

**Welcome back.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 19**

* * *

No real change today with my team. It was only a day since my talk with Ozpin, but that night wasn't any better than the previous ones. Weiss had woken up in tears, screaming about me. Well, about the Reaper. But, it was me. She had cried out for help. Help to move, to escape. Weiss was scared of me. She was probably doing the worst of the three of them. Yang was pretty shaken up too, but it seemed to be more over my safety than her own. She had thought I had been killed by the Reaper. Even though it was only for a short time, she still thought I was dead. I understood that pain well. I still missed mom.

Yang usually calmed down if I cuddled with her, or held her hand. She thanked me in the morning and told me how glad she was that I wasn't actively fighting in that fight. She had thanked Blake and Weiss for requesting I stay on look-out that night. Ya, looking out for anything that could make our jobs harder. Maybe like a skin-crawler I had brought along with me and was acting as my look-out partner? The guilt was terrible.

Blake was... Blake. She refused any help I could give. While awake at least. At night, she would toss and turn in her sleep. Her fear was the quiet kind. I still tried to do what I could for her. She had only really faced off against the skin-crawler. I was grateful she hadn't faced off against me.

They did all join me in class though. The first day of real school in a week since the 'Disaster at the Docks', as the media was calling it. Aside from the quietness, even around Team JNPR, not much had changed from the old day-to-day. Well, there were the Crawler Checks going on around campus. Professor Goodwitch had said they were standard-operating procedure after a skin-crawler was discovered in the kingdom. Everyone seemed to be getting pinged on their scrolls throughout the day, going over to the medical wing to get a look over.

Apparently there was a test to determine if someone was a skin-crawler based on their eyes? Humans were just so smart. I wished I could do that. I wished I could have discovered that Penny was a skin-crawler. But no. In her body, the skin-crawler could appear as a regular old human. The skin-crawler had tricked me into thinking it was human, because she had... she had worn Penny. And I was too stupid to realize it. I had spent more time around humans, living among them, than most others of my kind. And yet I still didn't realize what was going on. Knowing that I was the cause of everything my friends were going through made everything so much worse. Why did I want to be more human again?

It was during the lecture after lunch that they had found someone. A fourth year boy I didn't know the name of. Apparently the headmaster had burned him alive himself. It was gruesome and brutal to be sure, but that boy had died the night Penny had found him on campus. It was just a body at that point. A body with a skin-crawler inside. A baby skin-crawler, eating its way through organs to better fit within its host. It was... disturbing to think about, even for me.

The searches would still continue. Everyone would be pinged just in case there were more. Even my team was pinged during the last class of the day. I took notes for them while they were gone.

Instead, I chose to focus on tonight. I was going to sneak into the restricted section of the library tonight.

"You are not going to sneak into the restricted section tonight," Weiss said firmly, her princess-y confidence returning for a moment after so long. She stood over me as I sat on her bed.

"But why Weiss?" I whined, pushing against the soft mattress to look at her square in the eye. "I need to go. And it's Blake's decision. Not yours."

"Not mine?" Weiss's eye twitched, "look at us! We are all walking disasters right now. Do you think any of us are in our right mind to do something as stupid and dangerous as sneaking into the library at night? It should be a team decision when our leader is thinking of doing something absolutely... shortsighted and foolish."

"It's not foolish!" I shouted back, clenching my fists. "It's important. More important than someone like you would ever understand."

This was not going how I had planned it to go. I looked across the room to Yang and then Blake. Blake was on Yang's bed, while Yang sat on the floor next to her, leaning on her bedframe. Why were they siding with Weiss in this? I knew they were having a hard time with everything, but this was just the library!

"Then explain it to us, Rubes." Yang's voice was soft, her eyes shining with sympathy.

"The crawler-sweeps are still going on. And a curfew is in effect. Why is it so important we go now?" Weiss almost shouted. Blake's ears flattened against her head and she pulled her knees together. Yang patted her knee, laying her temple on it in silent support.

There was no way I could tell her what I was looking for. I couldn't tell any of them. Or could I?

"Do you want to know what I wanted to look for?" My voice was hard. It was me against the world. Or at least Team RWBY. My world. "I wanted to read up on Grim Reapers. I wanted to know more about them. Everything I could. There's nothing useful in the regular library. I checked. Everything is just the basics, stuff everyone knows. But the real important stuff? That's in the restricted section. I should have gone and got those books weeks ago. Maybe if I had... maybe if I had, I would have been more useful during that fight."

Tears were starting to fall before I realized what was going on. It was all true. I was strong. So very, very strong. But I couldn't do anything. I was too weak to realize what Penny was. I was too weak to keep my friends safe from that skin-crawler. I was too weak to help them this entire week. I ran forward and collapsed into my sister's arms.

"I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't help you. I couldn't do anything to help. It's my fault Penny was there and it was my fault I-the Reaper was there. This... it's all my fault. If only I had known more. If only I was stronger."

Yang's grip on me tightened as I sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's alright Ruby," Yang cooed. "It's not your fault."

"It's mine." Weiss stated, everyone turning to her. She was sitting on the floor leaning against her bed, hugging her pillow tightly to her chest. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "I had run away and brought everyone there. It was me. But there's more to it than that. Yang, at least you attacked the Reaper. It was foolhardy, yet, you still were so brave, going in and fighting that monster."

"I thought Ruby was dead. I couldn't think straight."

"No, but you still fought. What did I do? The moment it arrived, I was frozen. Frozen in fear, I was so scared. And then I tripped, and-and... and it _touched_ me." I flinched at the way Weiss said those words. Terrified seemed too simple a word to describe it. "I fell and it forced me to my feet and even smiled at me. I had never been so scared in my entire life. But.. but I couldn't do anything. It was forcing me to be calm. Do you know how terrifying that is? I was literally in the hands of death and my mind was forcing me to accept it. I... I was staring at it and I was ready to die. If it had asked me to kill myself, I would have done it without hesitation."

Tears fell.

"Do you know what it is like to accept death? No, be forced to accept death?" Her shudder mirrored my own, "I never want to experience that again. I don't think I can. Ruby, no book you find, if you find any, will be able to beat that thing."

"I have to try. I need to be stronger. I need to be this team's leader and I need to defend you all," I said. Weiss threw a textbook onto the ground and we all flinched at the noise.

"Are you too stupid to understand? We are first year Beacon students. We couldn't even handle a skin-crawler. What hope do we have, what hope does anyone have to defeat a Grim Reaper?" She looked so scared and so angry.

"It doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Blake said in a whisper. It had been days since she said anything. She stood up and paced the room, clearly trying to get her thoughts in order. She placed a hand on Weiss's shoulder. Her gaze settled on me. "We should still try. To know everything we can. We may not be close to strong enough to fight a skin-crawler, let alone a Grim Reaper, but we can still be better prepared. Knowledge is power. And I think I'm done feeling this powerless. Ruby, I'll take you into the restricted section. And then we are all going to pick ourselves up and stop blaming ourselves for what happened at the docks. We're a team. And we are going to be stronger together."

"Blake," Yang said, holding out a hand to her. Almost immediately, Blake walked across the room, joining us in a firm hug.

Weiss was hesitant, still clutching her pillow, but she did join us. I felt her arms wrap around me and forehead on my back. She was still crying. I felt the wet spots on my shirt. But so too were Blake and Yang. Even I was crying. For different reasons than them, but it was still... good. As crying turned to quiet sobs and then to sniffles, I felt better. It was slow and it was shaky. But it was better.

We stayed like that for a long time. All of us with our arms wrapped around each other and heads together in fond embrace. Blake stopped crying first, but maintained her hold on us. Then I felt myself run dry. Yang was next. Weiss continued to sniffle and dab her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt as we let go of each other.

"Thank you," Weiss was the first to speak. "I truly needed that."

"I think we all did Weiss," Yang rubbed her back reassuringly. "We should make a promise to each other, here and now while we are all still... emotional. No secrets. Whether they're emotions we are trying to force down to keep each other happy, or something more physical than that. We're all friends here. No, we're more like family after all we've been through. All we want is to help each other and build each other up. The best way... the only way to do that is if we are honest with each other and honest with ourselves. Who's with me?"

Weiss nodded.

Blake gave a single nod.

I held my breath, looking straight at Yang's pleading expression. I breathed out. "I guess we are all in this together at last."

I had to turn away from them and shut my eyes tightly. I couldn't let them see me. I'm sorry Yang, Blake, Weiss. As close as we are after everything that happened to us, I couldn't share my secrets. Not now, not ever.

* * *

**This was a very interesting chapter to write as it was the first time that I drew the scene out before writing it. I like to think that it's a very emotional scene and one in which movement and where the characters are standing/sitting in relation to one another has significant importance to how they are feeling even when not speaking. I'm enjoying writing emotional Weiss.**

**I'm hoping to keep the changes to their characters, especially the PTSD-like aspects that came from their fight at the docks. If you think I'm forgetting about it or you think that they aren't acting right based on what happened, please CALL ME OUT ON IT! Thanks!**

**FireIce90 - Yes, Penny's father was a skin crawler in ****disguise.**

**FN75 - More information about Salemites is always afoot! And I'm so glad you liked chapter 18. Your review was part of the inspiration for the latest interlude as well.**

**Sm0keyPanda - 1. Glad you enjoyed the arc. 2. Great pun**

**snoopykid - Thanks!**

**JackTheSpades - So happy you liked chapter 18. Writing the RWBY angst has been a blast and I don't plan on stopping the angst train anytime soon. Though, as we gear up for the next arc, things will always get better/worse for everyone.**

**CaptainTacoBell and dragonqueen1993 - Thank you for the inspiration for the latest interlude!**

**Alucard45 - Hopefully this chapter cleared up your question a little bit. If not, then the answer is a little bit of both. Ruby's magic does effect people around her, but the psychological affect of Reapers is just as powerful a weapon. As for your question regarding skin-crawler offspring, I'm going to just say that there wasn't another skin-crawler born in the school.**

**lasereye27 - Glad you enjoyed.**

**Guest - Sometimes you just need to be grateful for what you get.**


	22. Chapter 20

**And the adventure continues!**

**REAPER IN RED  
Chapter 20**

* * *

We left that night. Blake and me, two silent predators in the dark, sneaking passed students and teachers alike. No camera to record our movements, we snuck around them all. No bushes rustled as we hid behind them, making our way slowly, cautiously, to the Beacon library. The restricted section would be tough to get into. Who knew what mysteries were awaiting us inside. Or what mysteries we would have to endure and defeat to gain access to such an important and restricted place.

I really wish it was as cool as that. In reality, we walked down the regular pathway towards the library, then cut down a narrow path beside the library building. We didn't even bother stopping to check for other students watching us or cameras or anything. Using Blake's nifty ribbon as rope, we climbed up the stone wall, opened up the nearest window which was unlocked and already slightly open, then jumped down into the restricted section.

That was it. No hidden booby-traps, no guards or surveillance drones. Not even a librarian wandering around to check to make sure nobody was inside the building after hours. It was like these people wanted students to sneak in! It was truly disappointing.

All that buildup for nothing.

Maybe I just made it seem like a much harder job in my head. I blame Weiss.

"So, here we are. Anything particular you're looking for? Or just general information about Reapers?" Blake asked, hands on hips.

"Anything you could find on Reapers would be helpful. Powers, territory, weapons, everything." I replied. Best to keep the specifics to a minimum. Did humans know that Reapers have territory? They didn't know that Reapers were solitary creatures...

Blake and I split up, her taking the shelves further to the back and me, towards the front. Nothing was ordered particularly well, with books relating to methods of interrogation used during the Faunus Wars, beside stories about ancient Grimm. I couldn't make any sense of why those two were placed together. Maybe it was just to make things harder for people sneaking in.

I huffed, "boring no-good library break in."

Blake's searching was way more methodical than mine, judging by the growing stack of books she had with her. "Find anything?" I heard a whisper from across the room.

"Nothing really," I whispered back, shaking my head. Where was the good stuff? A book on locations of Reaper herds -I snorted-, known strong-points of Reapers -I never knew there were so many different ways to say 'cloak'- and of course a very helpful book about how it was believed Reapers... mate. I don't think I've ever put a book away as fast as that one.

Gross.

And extremely inaccurate.

I will never get the picture of that Reaper and Grimm out of my head for as long as I live. What were they even doing? It was like... and then... but how... Did humans not even know about the animosity between Reapers and Grimm?! I thought that would have been pretty common knowledge.

I checked the date on the book. Oh, that's quite old. Like, before me old. Hopefully humans have learned a thing or two since then. I tried desperately to shake those memories from my head, cursing my species for not being able to change our own memories.

"Ya, there really isn't all that much. What I could find only makes mention of Reapers. Safety measures to take, average range of their... Presence, I think this book calls it. And their preferred modes of killing."

Darn, nothing super useful. And judging by what Blake had said, most of it was probably wrong. I was hoping for something, anything. Even a sentence to get me on the right path to start would be useful. Maybe a change of topic could help us both. I knew I needed one.

"How are you doing?"

"Huh? I'm fine."

"Blake, we both know that's a lie. I'm me and I'm shaken up."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

I shrugged in response, knowing that people would most likely fill in the blanks for themselves. Every sentient being that I've ever met did so. My guess was that she was thinking about how I wasn't a part of the fighting, but I didn't know for sure. Her thoughts were her own after all. And I wasn't in the mood to indulge my curiousity and check.

We continued going through books in relative silence.

I flipped open a book to a random page, searching for any mention of Reapers. Oh! This one is all about Barghests! I miss Zwei. He was the sweetest thing; followed me around and would help me calm down the dying. Rest in peace boy. I'll find that mortal that killed you and mom. Even if it takes me the rest of his life.

"Trust me, Ruby. I'm fine. Shaken up as well, maybe the occasional dream about the... skin crawler, but no worse than usual." Blake shrugged, trying to hold an air of indifference.

I definitely wouldn't have seen through it if I hadn't spent every night since the docks helping to calm her down from her bad dreams. I told her as much. She scowled.

"Let's just find your book."

"I am sorry," I mumbled. Her bow-covered ears twitched.

She sighed, "you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't know what Penny was nor that a Grim Reaper was going to show up. We're still friends, right? You didn't even blink when I told you about what I am or what I did before Beacon. Do you think I would -any of us would- turn on you because you made a bad call? If I remember right, it was Weiss and I that paired you off with her. You saved our lives by attacking it when you did, cutting off an arm. And then you went to get help. You, Ruby, are the reason we survived in the end."

In more ways than one, I replied in my head. I put the book on Barghests back in its place on the shelf, having read little more of it since Blake began talking. Sure, technically I saved them, but I was also the reason they were put at risk in the first place. I should have learned how to claim a territory. Then I might have known about Penny when she was in the school. I could have _dealt_ with her and everything would have gone normally at the docks.

We would have fought the White Fang, and Torchwick would have spotted me and bolted and then we would all be together and happy again. It was simple. Just so... simple.

Why couldn't things be like they are in the stories?

"What do you normally look for in the restricted section?" The random question popped into my head. It was light. Easy. Nothing too tense and it broke the disquieting mood that hung between us.

"Anything really. I have my preferred genres of fiction, some of the older texts or first editions can only be found in the restricted sections. But sometimes I read historical logs. There are tons of them in here, most on the higher shelves and out of sight, but they are there. I... I like reading about their adventures. Their hardships and struggles and general thoughts on situations, both new and old. It makes my own problems seem simple in retrospect."

"I guess humans like feeling like the weight of the world isn't on their shoulders."

"Do you feel that way?"

"No. Not really. Maybe, I don't know. Before my mom died, she told me that there were always going to be others who did the same job as me so I needn't be afraid of being the only one. But at the same time, being here, or anywhere, I realize just how untrue that was. There aren't many of us. Not that I could find anyways. And not all of them are particularly nice or even want to uphold our purpose."

"There are always a few bad apples, but I think that most hunstmen pick the profession to do good." Oh right, she was thinking about huntsmen. "And look around. We're at Beacon. There are plenty of us learning to hunt down monsters and make the world a safer place."

Safer for humans maybe, I thought to myself with a slight eye roll. Humans. Ya, they had a lot of species going after them, but so too did they have many helping them out. And still they killed them. Vampires were always of note, as it was so ingrained into the human consciousness that even vampires thought of themselves as monsters and not humans. Then there were the good spirits, many of whom were treated like property and not with the respect they deserved as living creatures. I wasn't even going to start on my own species. I missed mom so much-

"Huh," I recognized a book. "What's this doing in the restricted section?"

"What did you find?" I turned as Blake walked up to me.

Pulling the book from the shelf, I showed it to her. The cover was made from worn leather and it was quite thin. The cursive scrawl of text in a faded gold colour detailed the book's title. "The Farmer's Daughter?" Blake's face scrunched up in confusion, as she handed it back to me, "never heard of it."

"You've never heard of it? It's my favourite fairytale! My mom would tell me the story every night when I was younger. It's about the daughter of a baker and how she married a farmer and then a hero visited them and forced the girl to have his kid, and the farmer raised her and she became the first Reaper."

Opening up the book to the story, I slowly read through the first few sentences, "well, I think my mom may have changed it up a little bit. I didn't think this was written as a sing-song."

Blake shrugged, then paused. "That sounds familiar. Almost like the Hero's Daughter."

I shook my head, "never heard of it."

Blake's ears twitched. "It's a pretty famous story. A summation of an ancient hero's life as well as his downfall. How even after a life of good deeds, he still accidentally unleashed unmistakable evil on this world. It's sad in a way. His destiny was written out before he even had a chance to live it."

"What sort of evil?"

"All of it. Reapers, Grimm, anything that huntsmen and huntresses go up against can be traced back to him in some way, shape or form. Though, I think this story puts a greater deal of significance on him, instead of his daughter like the name would suggest. What was it? The name is escaping me at this moment, it's not like the story even mentions it much."

"Strange," I chuckled, "you would think a story about the hero's daughter would talk a bit more about the hero's daughter. Well, I guess that's also similar to the Farmer's Daughter. She's only mentioned near the end... Hmm, I wonder if they are versions of the same story..."

"What did you say?"

Oh, I had mumbled that last bit out loud instead of in my head. Woops. I repeated it out loud, knowing that Blake had probably heard it with her more sensitive hearing. It wasn't like the stories were anything new. My mom had been told the Farmer's Daughter by her own mother as a child and the story was old by then. That meant it was _old_. Thousands of years old.

And this Hero's Daughter story. It was... it was just too similar.

That had to be a coincidence, right? A human version to a Reaper story. Right? Or was it something more?

It sparked something in me. A faint whisper of curiousity. And oh so many delightful questions. Why would humans and Reapers have the same story, if it actually was the same story? I knew my version was old; it mentioned Her, for Salem's sake -heh-. Did Blake's version mentioned Her as well?

"Blake? Do you have a copy of the Hero's Daughter that I can read when we go back to the room?"

"Ya, sure. I think my book on fairytales is currently holding up my bed, so we might need Yang's help to get it, but of course. Are you taking that one with you?"

She gestured to the Farmer's Daughter, still clutched tightly in my grasp. I nodded, "It's not really what I was looking for, but it will be nice to read the story again. Hear the story again. Read? Whatever. Want to borrow it after me?"

"Please."

Sneaking out was just as easy as sneaking in. Well, there was the challenge of bringing a stack of books -most of which Blake found- up through the window and back down again. But Blake was super experienced with that. Walking back to our room was similar to walking there. Just two students, now carrying a handful of books each back to our room for what could look like a study session.

Pay no mind to the fact that it was dark outside and the library was well passed closed at this point. But Blake looked unperturbed. So I made sure to look the same.

The Team RWBY room was quiet however. Weiss and Yang were both in their beds, but undeniably awake. Yang let out a breath of relief when we walked through the door and shut off her scroll, getting more comfortable in her bed.

Weiss was still sitting up, hugging her legs against her chest and resting her chin on one. Her expression was difficult to read, but she was in deep though about something. I whispered my thanks to Blake and she hopped into her own bed, placing the books she was holding on a desk. I did the same. I'd read the books later tonight. Maybe after getting an hour or two of sleep.

Even Reapers needed our rest.

* * *

**Chapter 20! It took how many chapters to sneak into the library? I agree with Ruby, it's Weiss's fault.**

**Alucard45 - *rubs hands together maniacally* Ruby's outing is gonna be fun. (if it does happen... no spoilers)**

**Sm0keyPanda - Sometimes you just need a nice, relaxing chapter to calm things down.**

**lasereye27 - So, I touch on this concept here and there in previous chapters, and it will be explained a little more in the future (albeit, from character perspectives who themselves are biased) so a very, very, _very _quick explanation is that Reapers can sense a person's natural time of death. Were a person to be stabbed in the chest, if left alone, they would have 60 seconds to live. That is what the Reaper senses. If a doctor is nearby and manages to stop the bleeding and patch up the person in time, then their lifespan (as sensed by a Reaper) would change to fit. The purpose to why a Reaper does what it does has only been hinted at, so you are asking the right questions for sure.**

**Firewyrm2 - Yes. This entire story started out as a half-page excerpt about Ruby's reveal. So, when and how she is revealed has been planned out since before I started posting this story. That being said, if I revealed her during the last battle, then there wouldn't really be any interesting character dynamics. Imagine what would happen if it was revealed in the last fight. Everyone would be scared of Reaper Rubes, but that's about it. Now, if the reveal happens later? It can be a lot more 'fun'. And thank you for the strawberries!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Merci! I shall earn that final star if it is the last thing I do!**

**FN75 - Glad you enjoyed that interlude. And that that chapter brought up so many interesting points!**

**Madaar - Which do you think? because one of those is very close to the correct answer and the other one is very close to what humans believe to be the case. :P**


	23. Interlude: The Farmer's Daughter

**REAPER IN RED**

**INTERLUDE 3: The Farmer's Daughter**

* * *

There once was a baker who had a daughter. She was kind and sweet and lovely to behold. She swept the shop floor while still smaller than the broom. She sold bread and sweet cakes on the streets. She wove flowers in her hair and held a song on her lips. She married a farmer on the edge of the village. A man of strong stature, of charm and of wit. A man whom would cherish her and whom she cherished in turn.

There once was a hero. A warrior of olde. Who weaved magic into words and enchantment into bronze. He was brave and fierce and beautiful to look upon. He slay dragon grimm while still a boy. He fended poor maidens and protected many homes. He sung songs of valour and danced with grace. He never married. The woman he wished for was kind and sweet and lovely to behold. Someone who would cherish him and care for him and cook for him and clean.

A baker's daughter found life on a farm hard and tough. A baker's daughter found life on a farm joyful and pleasant. On the edge of the village, tall flowers bloomed with colours and smells most vibrant to behold. To wake up with the dawn and feed her hens and heifers. To wipe sweet sweat from her brow alongside her farmer. To reap the harvest and make bread from the spoils. Life was, what life was.

A hero found life on the road hard and tough. A hero found life on the road superior and good. To travel was to see. Towns and peoples, of many colours and smells most vibrant to behold. To wake up whenever with whomever he chose. To wipe sweat from his brow as he struck down his next foe. To reap the rewards and keep the spoils. Life was whatever he chose.

The baker's daughter wished her farmer swift travels. He would make great haste to sell his crop in towns out East. He would wish his baker's daughter farewell and a safe return. She wished him great travels and a warm bed to return to. She gave him a kiss. He gave her a hug.

The hero wished to travel at great speeds. He had heard of a village, one which may hold his dream out West. He wished his townsfolk farewell and his own return to them. They wished him great travels and new spoils of victory. He kissed whomever he pleased. He touched whomever her chose.

The baker's daughter was lonely without her farmer. By day she worked and toiled and plowed. By night she relaxed, thinking to the future. She dreamed of a child with hair of gold. With ruby red eyes and with skin to pale to behold. In her dreams they laughed and sang and danced. When awake she gave her family portrait a glance. Her hair was the colour of the earth, which her farmer toiled. His hair was the colour of coal, which a baker valued most.

The hero was lonely on the road without a woman to please him. By day he marched and fought and slew. By night he relaxed, thinking of his past. He dreamed of a child with hair matching his own. With eyes like the fire his magic summoned and skin like picked bone. In his dreams, they fought with sword and magic and wit. When he awoke, he gazed at his reflection in the pool, taking attention to it. His hair was sweet corn, which he feasted that dawn. His hair of the sun, of treasure, of gold.

On the tenth day alone, the farmer's daughter met him. A hero of a man whose voice echoed the sun. Whose wit and charm could know no bounds, who said she was lovely and handsome and like a rose. She allowed him to stay, to sleep in her home. He would be gone before dawn, the hero had sworn. It was true that he was. But she was not left alone.

The hero had met her, the woman of his dreams. She was sweet and lovely and open to work. He wooed and wooed and yet she remain firm. Her farmer was gone now, but soon he would return. She allowed him to stay, to sleep alone. He promised to leave by dawn, yet with words of magic, he did not sleep alone. When he left, she was not left alone.

The farmer returned to the baker's daughter he held dear. She was with child, but soon tears did appear. She clung to his arms, for safety and assurance. The farmer was strong and cherished her so. He made no note of her dalliance. On the eve of the first snows, a winter daughter was born. He named her Salem, though not his own, she was perfect and peaceful, and he cherished her so. Her hair was gold and eyes red like fire. They knew not what to do, but take care of their sire.

The farmer's daughter, for she was so, grew to be kind and sweet and lovely to behold. She fed her hens and heifers from hands most small. She reaped her wheat with her scythe and toiled with her pitch. She wove flowers in her mother's hair and held a song on her lips. Her words brought forth bird and bug and beast. She smiled at her magics, how shadows did retreat.

The farmer's daughter lived and breathed and grew. She sang sweet songs, and danced sweet tunes. The farmer's daughter was beautiful, and strong and smart. She held magic on her lips, but love in her heart. On a day like all others, her farmer sat her down, his baker's daughter knelt before her and they shared their story, their lips a frown.

The farmer's daughter loved with all of her heart. How could she hate her farmer, who cherished her so? How could she hate her mother, whose adoration so true? To despise another was not something she cared for. Her family spoke of love, her real family was there. She told them of her magics, with not but a word. Her family grew fearful, for a hero might have heard.

A hero had heard, still fighting with magic and sword. His hair now grey, and his treasure, a horde. None held more power, none could rival his stead. Though his voice frail, his charm he did not shed. He had grown bitter and callous, angry in his lonesome. His perfect woman, a wife. That farmer, most loathsome. He had little to his name but gold and precious stone. No child to carry, no lineage of his own. He prayed to the gods, furious if they did not hear. But hear of else he did, a new fate drew near.

A woman of his loins. One of his sires. With words of magic, and strength he desired. He would make her his with but a single spell. For he was the hero, none stronger to tell. An heir, a sire, a kin, a child. For one of his own to reap but grain? A curse hath befallen his glorious name. He met this girl, this daughter of the field, and with a great blow, brought her to her knees.

The hero warned her of what was in store. For she was his own, to do with, unknown. He would rule, to become the hero king prophesized. And she his princess, his pawn to utilize. She begged and pleaded, that life was not for her. She was but a farmer's daughter, little else did she prefer. She had her family, a farmer and a baker's daughter. What use was a hero's life? Filled with not but slaughter?

The hero weaved sweet magics in his voice, how can such a girl demand such a choice? The farmer's daughter did beg, did plead and did cry. She had found her life, her happiness, her time. Her little village to call home. Her family to hold close. Toiling in the fields, with scythe of the harvest. To the edge of her village, the distance she traversed the farthest. Her world was small, and that she did know. But what else did she want? What other fields to watch grow?

Each passing moon, the hero did beg. His words growing stronger, growing frantic, with rage. His magic was powerful, but her love more so. His anger drew thoughts, ideas evil to behold. In a night with no moon and no stars, the hero vanquished his foe, his enemy, his folly. He slew them to a man, to a woman, to a sire. When the sun returned, he laughed among the fire.

That farmer's daughter did weep. She had nothing left to hold. No mother, nor farther, nor field to sow. All that remained was her tool of the harvest. And her magic and her wish. For safety and joy. With a wail of pain, of anguish too great, shadows once retreating grew faint, grew great. The sky hath darkened. The winds they did rise. Great Salem gave up humanity, with calm in her eyes.

The hero did fear, for the first time at all. This monster, his daughter, his foe to behold. He struck at her skin. It did not but glance. Sweet Salem did cry, his life she refused to take. He fell upon his sword, his own ire his downfall, this farmer's daughter, too peaceful, her one wish her wall. She set about the village, to do what she can. Reap souls of the fallen, for peace and joy her demand.

A farmer's daughter lived. A farmer's daughter died. She did what could be done, but death and pain, survived. Sweet daughter of the field, great tool sure in hand. What promises do you bring, what assurances you command? Why cover your head, in garments most dreary, wishing those feelings away. Your anguish to be seen clearly. One may not lose, what one cannot gain. Humanity and mercy, one side of a coin. Goodness and good will, another to be carried.

This farmer's daughter with tool kept in hand. To forever leave her fields, to forever leave her land. To have her soul call out for others in despair. True peace and humility. True love and true care. What can one do, but start a new people. To live for the land, to live for a people. The people of the field, those daughters of the farm. Who reap what others sow, who cherish what others show. The ones who remember. The ones who forget. The brilliance of life, the pain of death.

To stick to a place, one who sows may reap. A month and a day of captivity and of life, her power did creep. In passing lay promise, and in promises lay bare, a farmer's daughter did what she could. A hero's soul, reaped without despair. True to her word, a farmer's daughter is so. Her ancient promise to love humanity, and her detachment come fro.

It is with peace and understanding, she reaps with great love. The hero had died, but his words hath he cried. The farmer's daughter would forever remain alone. Not in peace, and not in pain. With great peace and with great pain. She who toils the fields of mankind, walks her path alone. Death doth come, in every a home. Death is truth. Death is freedom. Great anguish and sorrow, in truth and freedom.

There once was a farmer's daughter. She was sweet and lovely and beautiful to behold. With eyes of red diamond. Hair of sweet gold. She toiled in her fields of men, tool to reap from the fray. She once wove flowers in her mother's hair with a sweet song on her lips. Now she does not speak, her purpose in their grips.

A farmer's daughter reaps, what a farmer and a baker's daughter does sow. What a hero does live for, a farmer's daughter must go. A hero travels the land, slaying his rival. A farmer's daughter must travel, to ensure their survival. A farmer's daughter weeps, tears to be shed. A hero's name lives on forever. Her own. Dead.

* * *

**Nagaichi - More is always on the way!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Let me know how I did!**

**Firewyrm2 - Don't worry. That moment as well as the aftermath is already planned out.**

**JackTheSpades - Hopefully you can figure out how Ruby plans on doing it. Don't worry if you can't figure it out. Next chapter may clear up some things.**

**Alucard45 - Where's the fun in keeping our sanity? I let go of that thing ages ago! More Reaper knowledge will appear soon. It is an important part of the story after all. Even so, set-up is required. Even more set-up than I already had.**

**Forthenco - Thank you! i will try my best to live up to that.**

**Guest - ;) Spoilers**

**Theshcoker517 - Ruby and her mother are in fact just normal, everyday Reapers. Nothing super special about them**

**CaptainTacoBell - Ya. I love Zwei and had to include him somewhere. But it wouldn't make any sense for her to have that 'dog' with her now.**

**Cun - Can't go about revealing too much of what's going to happen in the future. :)**


	24. Interlude: The Hero's Daughter

**REAPER IN RED**

**INTERLUDE 4: The Hero's Daughter**

* * *

Many seasons long gone, there was a time in this world, where magic and power roamed free for all to wield. There was power and strength in mere words if one understood how to utilize them. One brave soul stood tall above the rest. A man of great talent and respect. As but a child, he did whisper his first magic phrase, his family cried out with thanks to their gods. He was born. The saviour. The chosen. The blessed. And in the words of their people in a language since passed, they named him after his magic. The hero child. Ozma Salos.

His birth was signaled by a changing storm. A flash of brilliant light across the sky. Torrential rains pulling trees from their roots. Horrid winds and gales and squalls. Born to those of lesser nobility, the hero Ozma was the seventh son of the seventh son. His birth was recognized by the great spirits on Remnant. The sky cracked and the ground fractured when he let forth his first cry of life. Eyes of silver sparked with early recognition. With early genius. The great men and women which saw his arrival knew what was to come.

The hero Ozma's first years were spent away from his small villa with the lesser nobility of his parents. They were instead in the great keep, surrounded by the finest teachers and tutors. By the legendary sword masters and the king's own retinue of knights. He supped with the children of lords and read in the libraries of wizards and witches. His days were filled with wonderment and amazement. Nights with dreams of adventure and heroics.

His first words were that of his own name. Of Ozma. The great spell for which he was named for. And in these first words, magic did spark in his eyes and spell work did erupt from his fingers. It was said by the king himself that the young hero took to magic and the sword, better than a fairie took to flight. Better than a chimera to the flame. His was a path few could achieve or dream to achieve and yet there he stood, a child at arms.

As a child, he spoke to the priests about a dream recurring. One which plagued him so, day and night. While at practice in the field or at study in the temple. A dream of his future. Of a woman with hair of the earth and forest and eyes of sparkling gemstone. His nights were tormented by this vision of beauty with eyes like a rose. Of their time together and of someone else with them. Someone whom he would wake in tears after having seen them.

He told priests and mystics and wizards and all the learned men of magic in the palace. For any hope of deciphering his vision, his dream. Yet none could. With determination of one with a noble mission of the heart, he ventured forth from his home amongst nobility to find one who could realize his dreams.

His first stop was at a bridge. One which was blocked by a foul smelling ogre. The ogre, of putrid breath and mindless eyes, attacked all those who tried to cross. Around him lay the bodies of the dead. Hunters with their bows and arrows, knights with their sword and shield. The bones of peasants and farmers, trying to get through to the other side. With a word, the hero Ozma spun his magics, lulling the beast to sleep. With a single swing of his mighty sword, he cleaved the beast in two.

For his bravery, the townsfolk showered him with wealth and riches. But, he took no maiden. For he was searching for one to share his dreams. He was looking for the one in his dreams. He spoke with the elder, and much the same. The dreams he could not decipher, much to his shame. But, they did mention a village. One set far to the West. It was one controlled by the crop, the farmers holding sway. All the foodstuff of the town, owned by so few. They controlled the food, the wealth, the power.

Maybe there the hero Ozma could find whom he sought. It was his duty, his honour, nay his mission to help out those in need. He could rescue those defenseless and bring back order to the village controlled by the farmers. And so he would travel. And so he did. To the very edges of the map and beyond it still. He would talk to travelers and tradesmen. Defeating monsters and saving towns. His name became known throughout, but to that village he still ventured.

And with each passing day and each passing night, new tales emerged about such a place. Where those that controlled the grains were controlling the town. How they forced the men to serve them by day. And forced the women to serve them by night. The ruler. The leader of such a group had stolen the daughter of a local baker to have his way with. To create an heir to name his successor. To place a crown on its head and turn their town, their village into a kingdom. One in which he controlled the food and all were subservient to him. It was foretold that his child would be blessed with beauty and magic. And so he took her. That baker's daughter, said to be the most beautiful in the land. Her beauty was not just in the way she looked, but in the way she spoke. In the way she thought and the way she moved. Her very soul was beauty and compassion.

And now it was chained.

The more the hero Ozma ventured, the more he heard about such a beauty. The more he learned of such a town. The more he fell in love with her. His mission slowly changed. He wished to know his dream, but he wished to know her more. And so his travelling continued. Hearing stories and defending towns. His reputation grew. His strength and power grew. The magics which surrounded him and blessed him grew. And then he reached it. That small, little town, where they were lacking in fresh grain and all served the master of the crops.

It was at dawn that the hero Ozma came face to face with that man. The hero Ozma spoke to him, pleaded with him to release that girl whom he had stolen from her family and let her choose whom she loved. To let the people of the town eat the grain without subservience. He weaved magic into his words. He did not wish for a fight, but only for change. And the man, that farmer, convinced by word and magic, relented. He promised to do just that. And so he left town, promising to return when he had redeemed himself.

They hugged as friends. The man traveled East. The hero traveled West.

He reached a cabin, a small home beside the fields of grain, where a woman toiled alone. The hero laid eyes on her and he wept. For she was was that of true beauty. And she was that which filled his dreams. He kneeled in front of her and spoke of what he had done. He spoke the truth and all that he could, never once gazing up at her until his story was finished. And then she helped him to his feet and hugged him most kindly. She allowed him to stay in her home and told him of what she had been forced to do. To toil in the fields alone each day and forced into his bed each night. And the two spoke. Of places they traveled and dreams they dreamt. And the two grew closer. And the two fell in love.

And the woman, most beautiful grew large with child. And the hero Ozma was happy. Rumours did emerge of what was happening in the East. Of a man of great power and wealth whom was raising an army. One of sword and shield and magic to strike at those which had wronged him. Tales spread and evolved. tales grew and grew. And they were all true. The man was returning to the West. To claim back his town which was to become his kingdom. To reclaim his woman and slave. And to kill the hero whom had forced him to flee.

And so the hero Ozma took up sword once more. He wished a safe home to the woman of his dreams and she bid him safe travels. And they two cherished each other. And the hero set out on an adventure most grand. To defeat the army which was to take those whom he had grown to love. To steal away their freedom which they had so longed for.

Many moons passed as the hero fought. From one town to the next he battled and vanquished his foe. They chose not to remain as one large horde, but in smaller forces to wear down the hero Ozma. To strike and strike and strike with sword and shield and magic until he grew too weak to raise his own. But still he fought on. To protect his love and his future sire. To defeat those that had wronged the woman of his dreams. No matter how many he fought and how many he faced, he could not find that man. That man whom had had hugged as a friend and let live that day.

And after many a moon's turn, he was satisfied and he was complete. He returned to his village to meet again the woman of his dreams and their sire. And as he stood in front of the village, he wept at what he saw. That man had returned while he was away. He stole away his woman and his sire. A daughter she had named Salem after him. She, who had hair like his own and eyes like her. Who was beautiful in appearance and beautiful in her soul. With magic that touched her lips as she spoke, just as it had with him. But she grew up while he was away. That sweet child had been stolen from her mother and forced to serve that man who named himself father.

The hero Ozma stayed in hiding in that town. To know what had happened to his woman and his own daughter. He had learned that the woman of his dreams had died. How his daughter was raised with cruelty in her heart from her father. How his sweet Salem had once been a child most beautiful, had grown wicked and mean. It was not the man whom had killed his woman. It had been that most innocent girl. Who had wished to weave magic most powerful. To bring about creatures which matched her wickedness and evil. Those whom she would name as her children, her offspring.

And the hero Ozma did cry as he learned. His own blood and sire had been corrupted by darkness. Corrupted by cruelty. Any action of evil she would bring would be his fault and his sin. All those sired of Salem's wickedness and blood would be his own as well. And with tears, he went to meet her. The girl whom should have been his daughter.

And so he went to that cabin which had for a time been his home. And she was there. She looked pale and sick and weak. And the hero Ozma went to her side to learn more. To find her truth. For there could be many truths. And she told him. Salem spoke of what she had done. How she had stretched her magic to its extent. The words of wisdom. The words of courage. The words of bravery and of strength. Those magical words of Ozma, which the hero had been named for. Salem spoke of that passing moon which she spoke of power.

And she smiled as he leaned towards her. How she reached around him to beg for forgiveness for what she had done. And the hero Ozma, looking at that girl who looked so much like he and so much like her, cherished her so. And his daughter laughed a most vile laugh. And the hero fell and the hero died.

And that wicked Salem emerged most powerful. A realm most grand to rule over. The hero Ozma had fallen. And the hero's daughter had emerged. And as the hero wept blood and tears, for he had failed in his final mission and final purpose, so too did the rest of the land.

* * *

I closed the story book with a loud thump. I could feel the gears in my own mind twist and turn as they worked out the similarities of the two tales. And then it clicked. I shot up from my chair, knocking it backwards. The sound it made might have been loud in the quiet room, but I didn't know for sure. All that I could hear was the voice inside my own head. It's chanting and repetition brought a growing grin to my face.

"i know what I need to do."

* * *

**Ruby figured it out. Now, can you?**

**AnAtomicPanda95 - Hopefully this chapters clears up your question. If not, then know the two aren't the same person.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Yes, poor Salem indeed. :)**

**Firewyrm2 - I get that it's annoying to wait for new chapters. I have the same problem when I read fanfics too. But at least it's (mostly) consistent! :D**

**Darknight2124 - Both of these stories didn't use any real references, though I read a bunch of poetry before writing the Farmer's Daughter, and a couple Greek myths while writing the Hero's Daughter, just to get the flow somewhat correct.**

**FN75 - You're gonna love the next major arc.**

**Amir2000 - Thank you! I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, so there will most definitely be more!**


	25. Chapter 21

**Now back to the adventure! And cheers to the official start to the second arc!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 21**

* * *

It was a brand new, glorious day and I don't think I'd ever woken up in a better mood. Everything was looking up for this Reaper. I had all the steps I needed to claim a territory written in my notebook -diary- and I was ready to get started. Just four nice and simple steps. Who would have thought it would be so easy?

I flipped open my diary and read through them once more. Just in case I forgot one. I smiled as I read my notes. Step one, find a spot to claim. Check! I'm going to claim Beacon Academy. My home base. Perfect spot to hold onto. Well, there were probably loads of better spots, but this one was going to be mine so I loved it.

Step two, extend my magic as far as possible to create the borders. Okay, not super hard. I could do that. Just hop into my Reaper form and unleash it all.

I frowned as I remembered step three. Keep power extended for a month -or a month and a day, I wasn't too sure- without fault. Okay, so I needed to continuously use my magic for a very long time. I needed to be in my Reaper form for a month and somehow not let anybody notice that there just happened to be a Grim Reaper walking around and going to class and lying in Ruby's -my- bed. Okay, that put a little but of a damper on my spirits, but I knew I could figure something out. I always did before... maybe.

You know what? I'll get to it when I get to it.

Step four was fairly simple. Just Reap a soul in my territory.

I shook my head from my morning thoughts. It was a new day. That's what mattered. The sun was just rising into the sky, beautiful shades of orange and pink surrounding the big ball of fire. The rest of my team was still asleep in their beds. Yang was snoring blissfully, it had been the first night in a while without nightmares. Actually, none of them had nightmares that night. Which was amazing because I got a full night of sleep as well.

Rolling myself out of bed -quite literally- I fell, landing on both my feet as silently as I could. As had quickly become standard practice, I glanced at Blake to check if she had noticed, frowning as her cat ears twitched in my direction. Darn, she had woken up. I will defeat you and your crazy good hearing one of these days!

Huffing, I made my way to the washroom to take care of my usual routine. A quick shower with nice warm water, giving the toilet a flush and watching the water twirl, brushing my teeth with minty toothpaste and trying not to swallow it -again-. And then it was on to hair brushing, my favourite part of every morning. No more finger-combing for this Reaper!

Satisfied with the shine and lack of knots, I opened the bathroom door and got ready to wake up my team.

A new day. It meant new classes -well, still the same classes, but new material- and new conversations and new food. It still surprised me how much I had been missing all these years. Humans really knew what they were doing in their kitchens. I still sometimes preferred my nice and simple meals of a handful of strawberries and some grains, maybe a little meat if I'm in the mood for it. But, cookies and pasta and milkshakes and salad dressing, they had quickly become staples of my new human-Ruby diet.

"Sho," Yang said, pointing her empty fork at me while chewing, "do you think we'll be getting our missions soon?"

"Huh?" Missions? Was that a thing I should have known about?

Weiss, thankfully, had the answer. "I do not know for sure, since Professor Goodwitch has yet to say anything about them. I would expect some information to come our way in the new few weeks. Most of the students are going to be arriving soon for the Vytal Festival. At least that's what Sun said."

"Still close with monkey-boy?" Yang smirked at Weiss's huff.

"We have talked on occasion. About how faunus are treated and best practices."

"Y'do know we have our own kitty right here to ask, right?" Yang's fork was now directed towards t he raven-haired girl beside her, whose face was still hidden behind her book. Or should I say my book?

It was hidden behind the book of fairytales we had taken from the library two nights before.

"I was indeed going to ask her," Weiss replied, "but I was first going to make sure I knew at least the basics from Sun so that Blake could share her own knowledge. If-if she wants to, of course."

Blake's bow twitched. "We can talk." Blake responded. Curt as usual.

It was good to see everyone getting back to their old selves.

A tray slammed down on the table next to us. The three of them jumped, hands going towards where their weapons would have been.

"I guess not," I mumbled to myself. Getting better at least. One step at a time.

"Good morning Team RWBY!" Nora's upbeat attitude didn't budge as she sat down across from Yang. The rest of her team was much more considerate of us, sitting down slowly, well within our view. They had been the only team we had shared the full story with. It was good to have friends to have our backs.

And that thought brought my mind back around to my goal. I was going to claim my territory so that everyone would be safe. So that I could watch all their backs. No Grim Reaper or skin crawler or any other higher order was going to scare my friends again. Not with me on the watch.

"You guys talking about missions?" Jaune asked, taking a bite of his eggs and downing it with a glass of milk. Not a bad choice in drink. Orange juice was still better.

Yang nodded, "was wondering when they were going to be starting."

"Ooh! I'm hoping for a hard one. A real kick-her in the crotch fight. Right Jaune-y? Ren? Pyr-Pyr?"

Nora's smiling gaze flickered to each of her teammates. And then to my own. Not the happiest of faces to be sure.

"Oh right. Sorry." She backtracked. "No talky for Nora. Got it."

"I'm hoping to choose an… easier mission. Not a simple one, mind you. But… maybe only against a Grimm or two." Weiss said after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Her words got a nod of agreement from the rest of the team. "I think I want to train up a little more before we go up against another Higher order. Did you guys hear what the headmaster said? We went up against a weak one. I do not want to try one in its prime." Yang shuddered.

"Did you know that Professor Port went up against skin crawlers on his own when he was younger?" I decided to chime in, hoping to steer the conversation away from such a depressing note.

Jaune -thankfully- picked up on my topic change, "ya, during combat history he was telling us about it. It was crazy! Probably the first time I've ever paid attention to him talking. And the stories. I know how hard it is to believe, but they all sounded true!"

"Maybe it was because Professor Ozpin was listening," I joked.

Jaune hummed in agreement.

"So, food fight?"

"No Nora, no food fight." Ren's head shake did little to sway the rowdy redhead, who tried to flick her grapes at Yang, only for them to be caught and placed back onto her plate.

"No fun…" she grumbled, laying her forehead on her crossed arms.

"Class'll be soon. Will we see you all there?" Pyrrha slowly stood up, looking at us, the question still hanging on her face.

I looked at each of my teammates. None of them looked _perfect_, but they did look better. We still had one more day off if we really wanted to take it. Was time off, away from class and Team JNPR and our -their- regular lives really the best way to handle this? I didn't think so anymore. Yang caught my eyes and gave a little nod. I returned it.

"I think we'll join you guys."

"At least for a little bit. Baby steps," Yang added

"Baby steps." I agreed.

Lucky for us, all our classes today were together. No special leadership courses for me today and nothing crazy for any of them. Just regular old together classes. That also meant that we would be having combat class with Professor Goodwitch as our last period of the day. But Professor Oobleck was first.

And he was talking about the labour riots that happened in Mistral thirty years ago. Sweet Salem, was it dull. Not just because he kept on talking in his regular rapid-fire way, but there was a big difference between listening to the professor talk about how the rioters and police clashed and, well, actually being there. And it wasn't even that exciting! The most memorable part about those riots was the strange back and forth going on where rioters would argue and shout and the police would fight them for a little bit, then everyone would just stop for a little bit so that huntsmen could kill the Grim nearby and then back at it again.

No deaths, which had really annoyed mom at the time since she had just lost her body temperature and was getting antsy for her next Reaping. As Professor Oobleck paused to take a sip from his mug of coffee, before darting back into his lecture about the specific goals of the riots -new laws regarding overtime pay and better safety standards- my mind turned to more pressing matters.

Matters like how to extend my magic while still in my human form. It had to be possible. Right?

I knew that my magic worked in human form -well, some bits of my magic at least- but most was only available when I was a Reaper. A Reaper-Reaper, not a human-Reaper. I could still could sense those dying nearby in my human form, so that had to be something.

That was my magic. The essence of it, at least. My reach was a lot farther as a Reaper, but it was definitely still there as a human. I shut my eyes, trying to feel around with my magic. Anything would be good. A heartbeat, maybe even a time until death. Just of Weiss or Yang, whom I was sitting between.

Oh! I was feeling something. There was definitely something happening. I squeezed my eyes tighter and clamped my fists, my body physically shaking from the exertion. But something was definitely going on. I could feel it. What was it? It.. it was.

Nope, nothing.

I was just straining hard enough to give myself a headache.

Welp, that sucked.

"And that is all for today, class. Please remember to finish reading the current chapter by tomorrow as well as write two pages on what you believe to be the primary cause for the riots based on the examples provided in the text."

Had I… really been straining myself for that long? I hadn't even noticed the time fly by. But, thankfully it did and we were all off to the next class of the day. Huddled together. All carrying our weapons.

Flinching at loud sounds.

Heads on a swivel.

Darn, none of them were doing that much better. Okay, when we had to pick our missions, an easy one was definitely off the table. On the table? We were going to do it. Maybe some Grimm. That would be fine, right? After all, they would only chase after me, so they would be free from danger the entire time. That was the safest option, though I wondered if there was anything that didn't even involve fighting monsters. Maybe something nice. I'd have to think about it.

"Oof," I bumped into the headmaster, cane in one hand, mug of coffee in the other. "Sorry," I said, rubbing my forehead and giving him a sheepish grin, "I guess I wasn't paying as much attention to my surrounding as I thought."

As the rest of my team looked back at me, the headmaster gave them a wave. "Please do not fret. I shall be speaking with your team leader just for a little while. I will see her off once our exchange has concluded. I shall endeavour to return her to you before the period is over. Please let your professor know."

With a quick goodbye, I was standing there alone with the headmaster.

"Hi," brilliant start Ruby. Thank you, Ruby.

"Good day to you too Miss Rose," the headmaster replied with a sip of his drink. "It has been some time since our last talk. I thought it best to check up on you. And your team, as it were."

"Oh, ya. They are good. Peachy. Umm.. the greatest. Well… they still finch a little at loud noises, but it's getting better."

"It is never a good sight to see ones as young as them scared of the world which surrounds them," Headmaster Ozpin's said sagely. "I do believe that they will use their experience as an educational one, though it may be some time before that experience bears fruit. And how are you feeling Miss Rose?"

"I'm good," a little sad for my team and what I did to them, but it was a better day.

"Learn anything new during your stroll through my library?"

"Huh? I-I mean, what stroll?"

Ozpin smirked, "what stroll indeed."

"I was wondering… when I was in the library -during normal, regular daytime hours of course-"

"Of course."

"I found some fairytales. The Hero's Daughter, is it… well known?"

"Among the most well known that we have. Also one of the oldest recorded fairytales to date. It goes by many names depending on where or when you have it. The Hero's Daughter, The Hero's Curse, The Hero and His Sire, The Offspring. The Farmer's Daughter."

"The Farmer's Daughter, I knew it." I mentally high-fived myself. Those two stories had so much in common, it was crazy.

"The Farmer's Daughter is an old one and a version of the tale which many do not know. I had only been granted a version of it a few decades ago. It had been passed to me by word of mouth and I wrote it down to the best of my recollection."

"Are there any mistakes in it?"

"Not that I recall. The times mentioned, the order of the phrases. All are correct."

"Okay, good."

"Do you believe you found something useful in the text? Something to help you extend your grasp on your power?"

"My aura."

"Indeed."

"I… I don't know."

"Sometimes, it is through trial and struggle that we humans achieve that which we wish for. It is a trait I believe is shared with many other species as well. From the vampire which yearns for sustenance, to the Syren who must create his own song."

"Thanks, headmaster. I think."

He chuckled at that, "now, let me see you off in class. I think I held you back long enough."

* * *

**It feels great to be back to our usual story. It also feels so much longer than 2 weeks since my last chapter of this. I guess that's corona-season for you.**

**Momentei - Pretty close guess! Sacrificing Jaune would be pretty funny.**

**Darknight2124 - Thanks a whole bunch! It was great to try out different writing styles of such a similar story to see if I could properly get the point of each across.**

**dragonqueen1993 - They are meant to be confusing. :) In each story there are only a few throw-away lines that relate to the process of claiming a territory. Reading it for the exact purpose of finding those details is the only way to really find them. Or know certain obvious things that only a Reaper would, like who Salem really was or what magics a Reaper possesses.**


	26. Chapter 22

**Welcome back.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 22**

* * *

I couldn't figure it out.

The no-temperature water hit me in satisfying waves as I sat there on the floor of the dorm bathroom. I leaned forward so that it fell onto my back, the pressured pitter-patter relaxing my aching body and stressed mind. I was tired.

Truly exhausted. I don't think I worked myself that hard in a long time. Every class, every hour, for the last two days. My head was killing me. No matter how much pressure I put myself through. No amount of time thinking on it, rubbing my temples or squeezing my body silly was allowing me to extend even an ounce of power further than the ends of my own fingers. If that.

I was pretty sure that my hands just fell asleep, the tingles on the tips of them nothing more than their naturally human reaction to being sat on or held above my head for an entire night. Speaking of nights, sleep was something that I was sorely lacking. My eyes were red. Not in the Reaper way, but in the human one.

I yawned and leaned back, the water now splashing on my forehead.

There was pounding on the door.

"Rubes, make sure you don't use up all the hot water!"

"I won't!" I called back, double checking that I had only turned on the cold tap.

I ran my fingers through my short hair, tucking some loose strands behind my ears. This wasn't working. Another yawn. I couldn't keep this up. Not only was nothing happening, I felt slower than I usually did as well. I tried to stand up, only to collapse as I put weight onto my feet.

Yup, too tired indeed. I could desperately use a nap at this point. I shook that thought from my head.

Ozpin said struggle.

But, was it the right kind of struggle?

I yawned once more, a shiver running through my body. My head was pounding in waves, matching that of the shower.

I missed Cinder. She would know what to do.

But would she tell me?

No, it was up to me. I let the change happen slowly. The room grew darker. Then darker still. I looked at my arm, my naturally pale skin gaining its more translucent guise. The water no longer fell on my head and instead fell on my cloak. No scythe this time. No death meant no need for it to be called out. I looked at my toes. They were normally covered by my cloak when I stood, and I understood why. While boney hands were sort of creepy, boney feet were altogether weird to look at. I stood up. Strength now surged through me.

I opened my mouth, exhaling silent air. Closing my eyes, I felt shadow pool around my feet. It felt so natural. With just a thought -less than that- the shadows were bent to my will, carrying my power wherever I wished. I forced it towards the mirror, then the shower head, then the door. I let it flow out from me, mapping the entire expanse of the bathroom. What was I doing now that was so different than before?

I screamed silently. Well, that was a weird feeling. Or rather, unfeeling. Inside, I was angry. No, disappointed. But outside? Nothing. A calmness which always surrounded this form. Being disappointed enough to scream, or at least make the motion of screaming, that meant the emotions were strong. Very strong.

Ugh, I released my hold on the shadows. Naturally, they returned to their sources and the room's light returned. The cloak receded and water fell once again on my scalp. Most of the strength left me and I sat back down, hugging my legs tightly. With my forehead on my knees, I tried to do what I had just done so simply.

Nothing. I couldn't feel shadow bend to my will. I couldn't feel the magic which had come so easily to me before. There was something missing. Like a mental block. A word on the tip of my tongue that no matter how hard I reached for it, it stayed just out of reach.

Another round of pounding on the door, turned my attention outward.

"Rubes, you alright? You've been in there a while and the rest of us still need to shower."

Right, how much time had passed? Too much probably. Shutting off the water, I grabbed a towel and dried myself off as best as I could. I looked at myself in the mirror. Reddish-blackish hair, silver eyes, pale skin and a cute face. Small, thin body. Nothing much to look at. Definitely not scary enough to be a Higher Order creature. Nope, no siree.

Strong enough to fight one? Not really, just judging by appearance.

Stepping back into my shared room, rubbing at my ears to remove the last bits of moisture, I felt Yang pass beside me and shutting the door behind her.

"Are you doing alright?" Weiss was sitting on her bed, textbook on her lap.

"Huh? No, I'm fine."

"You look troubled. Does it have to do with class? You haven't been paying too much attention lately. That very much isn't like you."

I shook my head. "Nothing, just something on my mind."

"Anything important? As your partner it is my duty to ensure that you are prepared for class and pay attention to our professors. If it is something that will impair you, I need to know. Just tell me-"

"Shut up!" Weiss paused, flinching. I... I didn't mean it. "I'm-I'm sorry Weiss. It's nothing. Please."

Weiss glared at me. "I'm your partner, Ruby Rose. I promised you that I would be the best partner you ever had. More so, I think we have both been in enough situations together that we at least earned some semblance of trust from one another. You are tired, Ruby. You are quieter. We all have been, but you seem to speak to us all much less than you used to before the… incident. So either you tell me what is wrong, or I will force you to."

"It's-"

"-not nothing. It is very much something. I can see it, Blake can see it and Yang can most definitely see it."

"Weiss. You are one of the few people that I have ever considered as a friend. So please. If the word friendship has any meaning to you, you will drop this issue."

The scowl and the nasty twinkle in her eye told me that she wasn't going to drop it anytime soon. But at least she remained silent.

Small victories.

I climbed onto my bed, letting my head hit my pillow with a satisfying sound. Where was I? Right, struggle. I squeezed my fists, clenching every part of my body. There had to be some feeling I was missing. My human form had only the very basics of power that my Reaper form did. Strength, a small bit of precognition for the dying, quicker reflexes, my shadow magic barrier -I mean aura- and… wait.

I had a shadow magic barrier. It was infinitely stronger as a Reaper, but it was still very much there as I was now. How could I have forgotten something like that? Then again, it wasn't very often that I allowed something to hit me, so I hadn't had much use for it. Shadow magic was also how my 'semblance' worked. Running at speeds faster than sight, leaving only rose petals shrouded in shadow. That was something. Multiple somethings.

There had to be a way to use that. Now, if only I could get this darn body of mine to cooperate with my ideas!

This was getting me nowhere fast. I needed a break. A good night's sleep, maybe. That or comb my hair. No, I had already done that.

"Hey, Weiss?" I tried, rolling over.

"Does my team leader deign to speak to me?"

I flinched. Ya, I was pretty mean to her a moment ago. "Sorry Weiss. Just something important on my mind…"

"… Do you want to talk about it?"

"You could always talk to your big sis as well if the Ice Queen is being too frosty." Yang piped in from her side of the bathroom.

I thought for a moment but shook my head in rejection. I snapped at Weiss for trying to be a caring partner. She deserved better of me. "I think a little partner to partner talking will help. Next time, big sis."

At least that made her smile. "Any time Rubes," I heard the shower turn on.

My eyes traveled to Weiss's, "so?"

"Umm, I'm not quite sure, really."

Weiss huffed, twisting her body to completely face me. "Just start and I'll work on deciphering your thoughts as we continue. I'm used to it at this point."

Weiss's nonchalance made me smirk. "Okay then," I began. I tried to decipher my own thoughts enough to ask her what I wanted to ask. I had to be sneaky. How could I ask her about Reaper shadow magic and extending my power in a human form when as a human, I should only have my human form?

"Do you ever feel like your magic, -erm- semblance isn't being used correctly? Like, there's this one thing that you know it should do or you are pretty sure it's supposed to do, but you just can't figure it out?"

Well, that sounded entirely stupid. Great going me.

"Like a power passed down from your ancestors. How every person in your lineage had been able to achieve that one power attached to your semblance, but you have yet to find the means to do so?"

I could only stare at her, stunned. Holy Salem, she understood me. Judging by the frown on her face and faraway glance, she really did understand.

"What would you say if… there was something I could do that would make me stronger. Like… like a lot stronger?"

"I would say that maybe we are less different than I had first believed." Weiss smiled sadly. But, it was still a real smile. Not a painted-on smirk, but a true one that actually expressed her emotions. It looked nice. "Have we ever discussed my semblance before?"

I shook my head.

"Words, Ruby."

"N-no. Just, what I've seen of it and what we know for our team attacks for Professor Goodwitch's class."

Weiss shifted her position, so she was on her knees, hands delicately in her lap. "My semblance… the Schnee semblance is a hereditary one. My sister has it, my mother had it and my grandfather had it. And ancestors long since forgotten have all had my semblance. Glyphs, we like to call them. By letting our power interact with various types of dust, I can have different effects happen. Without dust, the Schnee semblance is still a powerful one. We can bring forth Summons. Creatures we had defeated in combat."

My eyes widened. "That's so cool. Any creatures?"

"No, not quite."

"So, no fifty-foot tall behemoths? Or hordes of zombies? How about skin-" I clamped up immediately.

My excitement had gotten the best of me. Why did my mind have to go straight to that particular creature? We both flinched.

"N-no. None of those… monsters. I can only summon creatures which I had defeated in combat. That and… they can't be of Higher Order. Or vampires. It is almost entirely used for Grimm, but other lower order creatures work too."

Why not Higher Orders? Were they too strong to summon? Vampires made sense. Unless the Schnee magic could summon killed humans.

"Can your magic-semblance summon… people?"

Weiss shook her head. Okay, that confirmed it. No people, faunus or vampires. Higher Order summons could have been incredible though. There had to be a reason why not. Imagine how powerful a human could be with the power to summon a Grim Reaper. Or a Wraith Reaper. Or… a shiver ran down my spine. An Ammit. Bities and Chompies. Terrifying.

"Schnees have been studying our semblance for generations. Grimm of all sizes work without issue. Even those comparable in strength to the Higher Order creatures. Peris, brownies, Barghests, even Will o' the Wisps can be summoned. But, seeing as we have strayed a little too far from our original topic, yes. I do understand a semblance that can make you stronger. As well as one that can descend through our lineage."

Weiss sighed. "Summoning is the hardest part to control of my semblance. I have… yet to master this ability."

I placed a hand on Weiss's and she didn't shrug it off.

"My abilities are… hard." I began, filling in the silence left in the room. Glad that Blake was out and Yang was too preoccupied with her hair to listen in. "There are… things… I can do with them that can scare a lot of people."

When Weiss moved to speak, I shook my head, cutting her off. "No, its not about that. Just… something I've always wanted to say out loud. What I wanted- no, want, to do… is extend my magic-semblance, when I'm… different than when I usually do it."

"Care to repeat that? It made… very little sense if I'm being completely honest."

"Umm…" Well Weiss, I am a Grim Reaper and as a Grim Reaper I have the ability to extend my magic out from my body in order to see the lifespans of everything nearby. Yes, it does have the added effect of calming people down. Why yes Weiss, I _am_ the very monster that you have cried yourself to sleep thinking about.

"When I'm… different, I can use my ma-semblance to learn things about others."

"I thought your semblance was speed?" Weiss squinted, reshuffling her feet to get into a better position.

"It-it is. I can make myself move faster. Sometimes…" Darn, darn darn! "I can run fast enough to find out things about people nearby?"

Nailed it.

Weiss didn't seem to think my answer was any good but didn't call me out on it. So half points.

"A-as I was saying, I can learn things about others, but only when I'm…"

"Different?"

"Exactly."

She rolled her eyes at me. I continued on. "The thing is, I feel like I should be able to do… that… or something like it when I'm… like I am."

"So, you want to be able to train your… secondary semblance so you can use it in a unique way. Or in a manner you aren't familiar with."

I nodded fervently.

"Okay, while I can honestly say that you are a complete dolt and don't make any sense… What you wish to train to do is admirable. I… can't say what must be done to help you out. If I knew, then my Summons would be a common part of our team strategies." Weiss's comment was accompanied by a playful smirk. "All I can say is to try to get into the same head-space you have when you already use it. At least, that's what my sister Winter has told me to do. Other than that, sometimes it appears in a moment of true worry. Such as when you feel you're being overpowered or at risk."

"Overpowered or at risk?" Weiss nodded.

"I cannot say for certain that what works for me will work for you. Or in this case, what worked for my sister will work for you. But, I hope it helps you with whatever you need help with. And maybe someday? You will trust me enough to tell me exactly what's going on."

I gave her a firm nod. It was the only way to calm her. Keep her from asking more questions. It helped in that instant as I had my own questions rumbling through my head. At risk? Overpowered? I couldn't see myself being overpowered or at risk against anything other than other Reapers or maybe some really, really powerful humans. Maybe some Higher Order, depending if they caught me off guard… maybe. I hadn't fought enough Higher Order to be fully sure.

Talking with Weiss had given me a lot to think about. Hopefully it would lead to some answers too.

* * *

**I just want to thank each and every last one of you for helping reach 400 follows for Reaper in Red. It's an insane milestone which I had never even expected to come close to. Just knowing you all are enjoying the story enough to warrant following it, is insane. On that more than happy note, you all know what this means! I will see you all again this Thursday for our special extra milestone chapter!**

**Madaar - Thank you so much! And we're just getting started. ;P**

**FN75 - I am shocked SHOCKED that you believe Ozpin knows. Ruby is a brave young Reaper who DEFINITELY knows how to keep a secret... lol. This is going to be a fun arc to write. It won't answer all those questions, but it may give you some glimpses into some of them.**

**Devashish Karatolios - I know! Time no longer exists in its correct form and it's been driving me insane.**

**theshocker517 - For this story, I think I dropped the maidens entirely. Or, well, no. I didn't drop them per se, I just changed what they are and what they can do, or did do. Suffice it to say, if the maidens show up, it won't be very much (or at all) similar to how they actually are.**

**Sm0keyPanda - Ozpin is obviously trying to convince you that he knows more than he knows. there can't possibly be any reason for why he is talking in circles. Nope. Nada. Ruby is way too smarticles to give away her biggest secret.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - This is gonna be a fun arc. ;P**

**Momentel - Now I'm imagining that too and it's way too cute.**

**Alucard45 - I really believe that there should be long lasting effects to trauma. It shouldn't just be dropped so soon after it had ****occurred.**


	27. Chapter 23

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 23**

* * *

For some odd reason, Jaune was actually paying attention in Professor Port's class. No, not just paying attention. He was _actively_ involved in class. Even I wasn't actively involved in his class and I loved class! Jaune sat there, between Pyrrha and Ren; back straight, right hand on his pencil eagerly scratching down notes and left hand on the desk to steady himself and his notebook. Compared to the rest of us -well, the rest of us, not including Weiss- he was looking to be a model student. Yang was taking a nap on the desk and Blake was reading a book.

Nora, even when sitting, looked like she was ready to bounce around the entire room and Ren was there -trying- to calm her down. Pyrrha was… Pyrrha. It was always hard to get a clear read on what she did in class to pass the time, because it was most certainly not taking notes like Weiss or Jaune were doing. But class was going relatively smoothly; Professor Port talking about the time he accidentally stumbled into a witch's layer and battled to the death with one over the contents of a sweet-smelling potion. From the way he made it sound, there was a lot of cackling and potions being lobbed around the layer, exploding and leaving their mysterious contents everywhere.

"With my incredible speed and tenacity, I dodged a red potion. Sure enough, it struck the cave wall behind me and the very rock itself engulfed in flame! The rock was so hot, it melted before my very eyes, students. The dastardly witch seemed to want to continue her foolhardy onslaught and let out a howling cackle, spinning its magics right in front of me. What a sight to behold. If I was not in a fight for my very life, I would have watched it work its wonders. Watch it indeed."

He paused for a moment, gaining his usual expression which told us that he was reminiscing from his adventure. Probably something amazing. It really was a nice story, though there seemed to be a little too much cackling from the witch. I wondered if he misconstrued a witch's creaking bones for cackling. They did sound eerily similar.

"Now students, how are witches subdivided?"

Jaune's hand shot up faster than even Weiss's. The professor picked him.

Standing up, he cleared his voice and began. "Witches are subdivided into those with sealed mouths and those with unsealed mouths. Commonly referred to as Silent witches and Loud witches respectively."

"Very good, Mr. Arc, very good indeed. And were I to ask what the risks of fighting each type of witch was?"

Jaune spoke without a moment's hesitation. "Loud witches can use their aura and spoken language to cast spells which can negate the semblances of people or stop the effectiveness of dust, among other things. Silent witches can harness dust themselves, using their aura to strengthen or enhance the dust they use."

"Continue, if you will."

"So, fighting against a Loud witch, hunters need to pay attention to what witches are saying in their language to know what will and won't work for their next attack. And for Silent witches, hunters need to be careful about the dust being used or they had brought with them, because the strength of it can vary wildly."

"And for both of them?"

"The reason they are considered Higher Order creatures is because of their clear signs of forethought in battle."

"Brilliant, Mr. Arc!" Professor Port jumped as he spoke, his mustache bouncing on his lip. "Were this a test, you would have passed with flying colours. Truly remarkable to have someone who has payed so much attention to the subject of witches and witch-lore. Yes, witches are devious creatures and one of the only ones to be truly strategic. While a pack of Grimm may surround their pray, it is a tactic used by many animals. A witch may at one time corner you, and another lead you into a previously set up trap. My witch had the habit of throwing potions at me in order to guide me back towards the exit of her layer."

I stared at Jaune. I knew he was smart and had been training really hard lately, but this amount of knowledge was crazy. That was Weiss levels of information.

A hand went up and someone I didn't recognize asked about types of potions and if humans could use them. As the professor rambled away at another story which might have answered the boy's questions, my team and our sister team's attentions were on Jaune.

"Since when did you know so much about… well, anything." Weiss hissed.

I nodded, "you do know a whole lot about witches."

Jaune shrugged and whispered back his reply, "Ruby, I did tell you when we first met that it was witches I was after."

Huh, he did say that, didn't he?

"Why?" It seemed like the obvious question. Though, both Pyrrha and he flinched at it.

"No reason."

His reply didn't seem to assuage Weiss, who continued to glare at him as the professor continued into another story. He shifted in his seat; eyes straight ahead, somewhat glossed over. What was he thinking about? Maybe he was remembering something about his ancestors. Famous Reaper hunters most definitely had experience fighting with witches too, right? It made sense to me.

I smiled, thinking back on my first day at Beacon. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since. And Jaune was the first person I had really met here. He had given me a scare, but since then, he had become such a great friend. I needed to talk to him again. Maybe see how he had been doing this past week. My focus -my entire team's focus- had been solely on our team. But Team JNPR? Well, they may have fallen to the wayside in my mind.

"Mr. Arc! You seem to be knowledgeable on our current topic. Can you tell me the three methods in which a witch-"

"-witch a witch-" Yang snickered, only to receive a hard shove by Blake.

"-can die?"

Jaune Arc replied immediately, "Age, Beheading, Combustion."

"Correct yet again. The ABC's of witches, if you will. As a powerful and respectable huntsman myself, I mainly care about the final two of them. If you want to kill a witch, you remove the head, or you burn them alive. Fire dust is the most powerful weapon in a huntsman's arsenal. Though as previously mentioned, it is a two-way blade. If you want to focus your studies on witches, then it is paramount that you understand your dust theory."

Jaune sank in his chair, groaning and mumbling to himself.

"Beheading is similarly an effective method. Make note that while beheading is the most effective way to keep a witch from attacking, a witch can function for up to- how long, Ms. Schnee?"

"Four minutes."

"Four minutes without a head. It will be without the ability to see, hear or speak, but it can still move and utilize potions. This reminds me of a time in which I broke into a witches coven…"

The professor went back into another round of tales and the class, once again, tuned him out. Yang was passing notes with pictures of headless chickens and headless witches running around. They were honestly quite good. Trying my hand at it, I sent back my own. A headless witch throwing around potions which all seemed to look like different professors. That got a small chuckle out of her and a thumbs up in my direction.

Pleased, I continued to doodle a little, even as the classroom bell rang and Professor Port gave out the week's readings.

The day was much like it usually was. Without heat or cold, I looked to Blake as my temperature gauge. Weiss and Yang were unhelpful for equal and opposite reasons, thanks to Yang being a perpetual heater and Weiss a freezer. It looked to be jacket weather, so there I was in a jacket. Classes were divided between taking notes, phasing in and out of attention, and trying to force my magic out of my body only to be left with a shortness of breath, a pounding headache and no results to speak of.

And then there was Professor Goodwitch's class. It had… changed a little since the skin-crawler. For one, Ozpin had begun showing up. He just stood at the back of the classroom, drinking his coffee. Silent and with that expression I could never quite figure out. Like the one he gave whenever I thought he might know what I really was.

He had to know. Right? All those subtle hints and comments had to mean something. Nobody could be that ignorant, right? But then again, I did know Jaune, and even I -a non-human- knew that Pyrrha was infatuated with him. Why anyone would want to kiss or touch another like that was too strange for me to even begin to try and explain -and Salem, that was a really awkward chapter of my books to get through-, but Pyrrha was so obvious that it may as well as an open-secret around the school. Open to everyone but Jaune of course, who was oblivious to Pyrrha, oblivious to most things Grimm or monster related and yet surprisingly knowledgeable about witches in particular.

I couldn't think to much about it, because Professor Goodwitch called me to the front of the room for another fight. 'Competitive Tag' Yang had named it, after my first fight with Jaune. That really did feel like such a long time ago.

"You will be up against Lie Ren and Blake Belladonna, Ms. Rose." The professor spoke in her normal strict fashion, not even bothering to look at us as she got the stage set up for our upcoming duel. "I trust that you will continue to make a mockery of this class?"

I nodded. I knew what she really meant; how she wanted me to fight back for once. But even after talking with Headmaster Ozpin, I was still having some trouble with strength management. With the vampire soul wearing off and plans for sneaking into the library and the fiasco at the docks, I didn't have much time to actually practice. Just another thing to add to my list of things to do.

Ren gave me a small nod, withdrawing his weapons and getting himself in his readying stance. Blake smiled, placing a hand on her own weapon.

Professor Goodwitch swung her crop, whapping her thigh. "Ready?"

The two nodded.

I withdrew my own weapon, unfurling it and holding it behind me. I nodded.

"Begin."

Blake shot forward, hopping right towards the wall and ricocheting off and above me. Ren unleashed a volley of shots from his stabby-gun. I had watched fights in class plenty of times already and I knew how strong my two friends were. Blake begun her downward strike as Ren darted forward, weapons ready for a cross-strike.

I sidestepped Blake's weapon, then hopped over Ren, using Crescent Rose to maintain my balance. Setting up for a new round of strikes, I ran towards them, weaving in and out of range, keeping them from setting up attacks or gaining control of the fight. Blake phased out of view in a puff of smoke, only to reappear to my other side. I ducked, sweeping my leg slowly to give her ample time to react. I winced as she fell, rolling backwards into a new stance as Ren took up her spot. Maybe a little slower next time.

Ren was faster than Blake, using his dual weapons in perfect tandem, leaving few paths open, save for a backward retreat. A quick block of a downward blow with my scythe and I pushed him back a space. Enough to get some room to strike.

Well, I lowered Crescent Rose carefully so I would miss him entirely, but close enough that it looked like it wouldn't. Or so I thought. Darn, Professor Goodwitch didn't buy it one bit. Or maybe she was annoyed that there was a huge crack in her floor. Slower, weaker next time.

I felt the wind blow by me, coming from Blake's ribbon. Pole-vaulting over to keep myself from becoming entangled, I let go of my scythe, cartwheeling through another attack.

"Ren has fallen out of bounds," the professor said, following the loud beep which signaled the 'ring-out'.

"Oops."

"Go Ruby!" Yang shouted from the stands, waving her arms like a madwoman. "Take her down! Give her the ol' one two!"

"Break her legs!" Even Nora was cheering, though who she was cheering for was anyone's guess. Now that Ren was out at least.

I waved sheepishly at them, shrugging my shoulders to deflect a glancing attack, then spinning to move out of the way of a flurry of powerful kicks by my sister's partner. She was breathing hard. Should I be breathing hard? She had been moving around more than I had, using her semblance to try and catch me off-guard. I let rose petals appear from wisps of shadow, trademarks of my human-magic semblance at work. I weaved, I jumped. Rolling under blows and kicks. Anything to keep myself from being hit, but slow enough that it looked like I was trying my hardest. To be fair, Blake was exceptionally talented with her chosen weapon, but she was still slow. Much slower than the huntsman who had killed my mother.

Than any of the huntsmen my mom had spoken of from her youth. Was there really such a steep learning curve between professional huntsmen and these students? I had always assumed that humans were like us Reapers in a way. Faster and faster until our prime, then slower and slower until death. Did they only get faster and stronger with age? Did that mean that the human who killed mom would be that much stronger as well?

Blows continued missing as the fight continued. Even as I dodged another kick and punch combo, my mind was fixated on the disparaging strength between students and professionals. Professor Port was old, did that mean he was super powerful? Well, I already knew he was, judging by his incredible, though sometimes a little long stories. He had been a skin-crawler hunter after all. Professor Goodwitch was also incredibly strong. That semblance of hers was no joke. If she was as fast as she was strong, especially if caught off guard, I doubted many young or old Reapers could slip by her. Not the ones in their own territories, those would rip her apart with ease -figuratively, of course, then again...- or those in their prime -like Cinder- but young and old for sure. Humans loved going after them. I wondered why.

Blake poofed out, then back in, a foot away. A thrust towards my chest. An open-palm strike against the flat of the blade pushed it out of harm's way.

Then cheering.

Blake gave a small smile, still breathing heavily when I noticed her sheath in her other hand in a reverse grip. What? When? She had hit me. A soft strike against my arm, but a strike, nonetheless. I must've lost my focus. My gaze landed on the overhead screen. No change in my aura-metre. It must have only grazed me.

I saw my opponent looking too, her smile dropping to a frown.

I had enough of this, with a deep breath, I shot forward, a smattering of petals in my wake. I was in her face when I stopped, letting the wind I dragged behind me be the only force propelling her off the stage. The ring-out beep sounded and Professor Goodwitch called the fight, proclaiming my victory. Ren and Blake smiled at me, giving me comforting nods in turn, letting me know they held nothing against me.

I high-fived Yang as I passed by on my way to the locker rooms to drop off my weapon.

The locker rooms were mostly empty, just me and Blake inside, putting away our weapons and changing back into our school uniforms. Retrieving Crescent Rose from my belt, I placed it gently into my locker, wiping off a bit of dirt I saw on the corner of it. Happy with my little bit of cleaning, I closed my locker and sat down to tie my shoes. Feeling someone beside me, I turned to see Blake, looking at me funny.

"Hi?" I half-asked, half-welcomed. She was glancing at me, eyes roaming up and down my body.

"I hit you." It wasn't a question.

"It was… more like a graze, right? Didn't really do that much damage. I think you might have come super duper close," I offered as a response.

Blake shook her head, eyes still glaring at me, "No, I felt stoppage. I hit you, then sliced. There should have been damage."

"Weak damage?"

"Strong damage. Ruby, tell me now. Did you do something to your scroll so your aura wouldn't read properly? Because if you did, you're going to need to fix it now. That's an offence that could get you expelled."

I shook my head, "No! I promise I didn't do anything to my scroll."

"Then explain to me how my attack didn't effect you."

I… I was at a loss. I had no idea how to respond. To justify my strength. Well you see, Blake, I don't actually have aura at all. Just my Reaper magic which just so happens to be like a hundred times stronger than your aura, everywhere except my weak points and your attack felt like a flick. Oh, and while I'm sharing secrets, how about the fact that I don't know my own strength against humans, and I'm scared to hit you.

Blake sighed, "Ruby. You were the first person to find out about me," Blake's faunus ears twitched underneath her bow. "You also defended me against Weiss during that… event. But I think I can trust you fully with the secrets I have. Don't you think I've earned a little of that trust returned?"

"You do, of course you do." My voice was rising with every word and I wasn't sure if it was because I wanted her to know what I said was the truth, or the underlying fear and panic I was feeling.

Should I erase her memory of it? Or modify it? It would work, but the risk of someone coming in and spotting me was too great. Professor Goodwitch's class was still going on after all. And I wasn't completely sure I could catch her off guard fast enough with that semblance of hers. She wasn't one to freeze in fear like Weiss was, or charge in guns blazing like Yang. I didn't yet know if she was the fight or flight type of person, but my lien was on the latter. Too risky.

"I do trust you. It just has to do with my powers, my semblance. It's long and confusing and I don't fully understand it yet. Yang doesn't know either," I preemptively answered Blake's question. "Just for now, think of it like an… extra aura or something. And please don't tell anybody about it."

Blake stared into my eyes and I held her gaze. After a moment, she backed off. "Alright Ruby, I'll believe you. But know that Yang, Weiss and I, we're all your teammates. You can trust us with anything. Just as we no doubt trust you."

With that, she left the change room.

Was this the emotion that humans called shame?

* * *

**Thank you all for helping me reach such an incredible milestone. 400, that's insane! This story has been a blast to write so far, so I'm glad to see so many of you enjoying it just as much as I am. See you all again in two weeks!**

**chinaluv - Thanks!**

**Alucard45 - She does know that she's going to need some souls again, but after the first time led to a bit of overreaction, you can kinds see how she would realize that lack of temperature isn't the end-all. Yet. I have thought of using AO3, but I myself very much prefer ffn. If this story does make it's way to AO3, it'll probably happen much later, probably after the second arc has concluded.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Things are getting interesting and a little trickier for our girl.**

**jenbug1 - *shrugs* who knows?**

**snoopykid - I am very much excited for the reveal. Whenever that does happen.**

**FN75 - I felt for a while that Weiss and Ruby hadn't yet had a big heart-to-heart to show that they actually did care for each other (as friends). It was also a nice change of pace, showing that Ruby wanted to reveal stuff about herself, even if it's under the guise of a special semblance.**

**Firewyrm2 - I will definitely need to check those two out!**


	28. Chapter 24

**Once more into the fray.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Okay.

Either I slept through the most incredible news ever or was in an alternate reality where everyone woke up as hyper as I pretended to be.

I yawned while watching Weiss dart across the room, getting changed and brushing her teeth, then remembering something and rummaging through her things. Yang had even cut down her shower time to something almost human in length and even Blake had put down her book. Why was I still sitting in bed, hair a complete mess and yawning like a… well, a human? Sleep hadn't really come to me well last night, thanks to my conversation with Blake. I even had a dream! A bad one; what humans would call a nightmare even.

In my dream I told Blake about me. I just told her everything. About me, what happened to mom, about my life, everything. It had felt incredible to get it all off my chest. To actually share with someone else my life experiences. She would be the first to know that I was a Reaper, just as I was the first to know that she was a faunus. I had told her in the middle Forever Fall, and I think I was smiling as he told her. She nodded along with every sentence of mine. It was great. And I was rewarded for it. With a hug from the normally lonesome faunus.

And then a blade slitting my throat.

I shivered at the memory. On the plus side, it had been ages since I dreamt anything at all.

"Ruby Rose! What are you still doing in bed?" Weiss scolded me, while fixing her tiara and her off-centre braid. "I thought you of all people would be rushing to go!"

"Go where?"

"You… you complete…ugh, did you even look at your scroll yet this morning?"

"Huh, why?"

Instead of replying, Weiss rolled her eyes and gestured for me to take a look. So I did. My eyes widened immediately as I read the notification. A message from Beacon Academy sent to all first-year students.

My eyes darted over the message, picking out select important words. Witches? In Forever Fall Forest. A potential first mission before the regularly assigned missions. I squealed in delight, throwing my covers off of me and jumping down from my bed. "Mission!" I shouted in delight, bringing out a chuckle from Yang.

"Never change Rubes." Yang shook her head with a smile. As I shut the bathroom door to start my morning ritual, I heard her call out to me, "You've got twenty minutes! Then we need to rush to the amphitheater if we want to see who volunteers for the mission."

"It's mandatory!" Helpfully shouted Weiss.

It only took me half that amount of time to get ready. I skipped some steps -not my hair brushing time, that was sacred- but I was ready to go!

It had been a while since I was able to actually fight something. Not that the skin-crawler didn't count as a fight. Just, I was hoping to fight something a little… smarter. And I could attack back against without fear of accidently killing them, like I would with humans. And preferably not while covered in a nigh impenetrable cloak made out of pure shadow magic. Fighting in human form was so much more exciting. No wonder humans enjoyed it so much!

The four of us went straight to the amphitheater, as did most every other first year student in the school. Not that I was particularly surprised by that. We all were waiting around, a lone microphone on the stage the only hint that someone -Yang bet Professor Goodwitch and Blake bet Headmaster Ozpin- was going to be presenting the news. Excitement seemed to pulse through the very air. As did the reminders that only a select few would be going on the mission.

"You think it'll be based on which teams arrived here first?" Said one face among the horde of students.

"I just hope it's not based on grades."

"Or our latest combat rankings, yeesh."

I stopped listening in after that, seeing as their conversation was following the general flow that my own team's was.

"I hardly believe that the professors would use such a simple means as 'first come, first serve'. It is much more likely based on our academic record," Weiss huffed in reply to Yang's question.

"Now wouldn't you like that, Ice Queen. I bet it's a random draw if anything."

"And how would that be fair?"

Blake snorted, but kept her thoughts to herself. Yang had no such compunction, "a random draw isn't fair? It's probably the most fair means when you have this many students all itching for a piece of the action. I know whatever the case, I plan to sit this one out."

"The mighty Yang Xiao Long is going to withdraw from a potential career-starting mission?"

"Well, I've already punched a Reaper in the face, so it can't be more career-starting that that." Immediately realizing what she said, Yang froze. As did Weiss. Fear pooled in their eyes and I could almost feel the tension hanging off them. If I had super hearing, I bet I would hear their hearts beating like mad.

"Right, way too soon. I'm sorry." Yang tried, placing a gentle hand on Weiss's shoulder which almost made her scream if not for seeing Yang's slow move towards her.

"I-I think I might sit this one out as well." Weiss's reply was timid.

"What about you, Ruby?" Blake's voice sent a perceptible shiver through my entire body. Without meaning to, I took a half-step back from her.

I couldn't look her in the eyes.

Huh, that nightmare must have affected me more than I thought.

"Ruby? Are you alright?"

"Oh? Ah, yes I'm fine. Just… bad dream last night."

"Want to talk about it?" Yang asked, eyes filled with concern.

"No. I'll manage. I think I'm going to volunteer for this. I wasn't too involved with the fighting at the docks, so I'm mostly okay."

Yang gave me a hard look. "Rubes. Your new friend turned into a monster right in front of your eyes. If you want a break, you can get it. We all know how much you shouldered for us and did for us since then. You can rest."

I… had no clue what to say. There Yang was, being so super kind to me. She was the best human sister I could have ever hoped for. I leaned into her, letting her wrap a protective arm around me in a tight hug.

"Thanks," I finally let out, feeling her chin nestle into my hair.

"Always."

A few light taps on the microphone on stage, followed by the strained blare coming from the speakers silenced all of us, turning our attention to Professor Goodwitch. She was standing there, alone, arms folded across her chest, with her usual glare and sour expression. Her riding crop was held under her armpit.

Silence immediately descended among the crowd. The professor's eyes shifted one way, then the other, making sure that none would try any funny business in her presence. I almost let out a laugh. Like anyone would be brave enough to do something as crazy as that.

"As the reports sent to your scrolls this morning explained, there has been a sighting of a small coven of witches in the Forever Fall Forest. It has been confirmed by professional huntsmen in the field that these are likely Loud witches. Two confirmed with a potential for a third to appear. As such, it has been decided that this will be a good opportunity for students to get proper experience dealing with these creatures."

The professor glared at something offstage, before looking back at the rest of us.

"Headmaster Ozpin has decided that he requires a change of pace. And so, this mission will be granted to four first-year and second-year students on different teams. These students will all be under the direct supervision and command of the headmaster."

Almost immediately, the room broke out into excited whispers and conversation. Instead of regaining silence in the room like she usually did, the professor spoke over the volume of students. "Every team can send me one team member's name, which I will then choose the final four at random. Please do so now."

The voices then rose as teams began vying for the sole spot available on their team to have a chance to face these Salemites. To many, it would be the first Salemites they would see, let alone face. The issue for my team was much simpler than others. I asked, and the other three readily agreed.

It wasn't like I was particularly excited to see a witch. I had seen plenty of them before -even fought a couple, which I always awesome- and it was always an experience… Okay, that was a lie. I was so totally excited to finally fight a witch again. They were just so cool. I always wanted to ask them questions but either they aren't the most talkative bunch, or they just don't like talking with Reapers, so I never got the chance to find out. And it's not like I wanted to ask a witch anything serious. Just what their potions were made of so I could try making one. Those purple knock-back ones, or the sparkly yellow ones which send pleasant little tingles into my fingers, they were just so cool!

So yes, while I was excited to once again have a chance to once again try and ask some witches my questions -if I can get a moment alone with them, of course- I was also excited to fight alongside the headmaster himself. After my last time in his office, something was not sitting quite right. All those topsy-turvy answers to my questions. His knowing smiles. Just everything about him seemed to be… not all there. Like he knew way more than he was letting on.

Though, I guessed that after running a huntsmen academy like Beacon for so many years, he was bound to know a little more than most. But, how much did he know about Reapers? More so, how much did he know about me?

This witch hunt would be a perfect opportunity to find out.

"And here are the names."

I would have to ask him all sneaky-like. Truly take a page out of Headmaster Ozpin's book. I had tried asking him point blank if he knew, but he didn't. No, wait. He never said that he did not know, just that he did not know what I was asking him that he knew. That I knew he knew? My train of thought continued into strange spirals as I tried to decipher who knew what I knew that he knew what I am. Or something like that.

"And Jaune Arc. That will be all. Can the called students please come to the stage for a quick discussion. The rest of you may return to your studies."

"Huh?" I looked around, watching as everyone left the room. "Was my name called?"

"Heck ya, your name was called," Yang said with a small smile and a hard pat on the back. "Go get them."

"Heh, thanks."

"Meet you back here later. Let us know everything."

Waving my teammates and friends goodbye, I walked up to the stage where three others were already waiting.

"Finally Ms. Rose cares to join us," Professor Goodwitch chided. "Now, we can begin. I am going to tell you a few basics regarding dealing with Loud Witches which you may not yet have learned in your studies and then we will discuss team leaders and…"

I drowned out the professor's voice, instead choosing to look at who my new teammates will be. First was my friend Jaune. He stood there, looking straight at the professor, with piercing eyes. It was like he was fully internalizing everything she was saying. I don't think I had ever seen him as focused on something before. It was amazing to see.

Next was a faunus. I didn't recognize her from any of my classes, which meant she was a second year. She had rabbit ears and nice, soft, brown hair which fell down to her midback. The box on her waist of clearly her weapon, though I had no clue as to what it could do. That was almost as exciting as fighting the witch.

And lastly -aside from myself- was a member of Winchester's team. He had a weird hairstyle; green with only hair right in the middle of his head and shaved everywhere else. I couldn't remember his name, but I was pretty sure I didn't like him. Not with how he was giving an almost rude smirk at the faunus girl.

"Everyone understand?"

We all nodded at the professor's question, even as she eyes me warily. She had to be some sort of mind reading monster. How could she have known that I wasn't paying any attention!

"Then Ms. Rose, why don't you please remind me who I placed as leader of this makeshift team?"

I squirmed in my place. Of course I had no idea. Who would! It could be me, or Jaune or rabbit girl or the meanie. Come on Ruby, use that big brain of yours. It probably was not meanie, because he's not a team leader. Was rabbit girl a team leader? It's probably either me or Jaune. 50-50 chance. Okay, just pick. A simple little guess…

"It's Jaune?" I tried, curling back after seeing Professor Goodwitch's stern glare.

"Ms. Rose, I do hope you find detention comfortable for you after this mission with the headmaster. Ms. Scarlatina, please take these first-year students to meet the headmaster where I had said. These kids are in your respectable hands."

"Of course, professor," Velvet responded in an awesome accent. It sounded so sophisticated! Like, even more Weiss-y than Weiss herself. Just super awesome.

With one final glare at me, Velvet directed us all to grab our weapons and then to the edge of campus where the headmaster was waiting. Clinging gleefully to my lovely Crescent Rose, I almost let out an all too human giggle.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

**A little bit of a dynamic change in this one, as we head into a mini arc. Time to flesh out a character or two.**

**Alank2 - It is really great that Blake is trying to live up to the promise they all made for no secrets. If only Ruby wasn't living one... Damn, no that sounds like something to stick on the back of a book.**

**Amir2000 - It's nothing more than a flesh wound!**

**Tiberium Snow - Thanks for that. And all that info will be coming up sooner than you think.**

**Firewyrm2 - Then I will still need to check those OVAs out.**

**FN75 - Must... fight... urge... to reveal all... But to answer your question... I can't answer that. Different Salemites will indeed have different types, since we already know Reapers and witches do. Whether you will see all the different types of each Salemite, I can't say for certain. Only that you will see all the Salemites. I also recommend looking back over the chapter where Ruby actually goes to Beacon. There are little hints everywhere in this story as to what happened to Ruby's mother, and I'm a little annoyed that I can't find the chapter with the most obvious clue. I'll get back to you on that.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - It'll be a fun one.**


	29. Chapter 25

**Once more into the breach.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 25**

* * *

The Forever Fall Forest was quite a large body of land, filled with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of trees, all with brightly coloured and beautiful red leaves. Most people could only see the full picture that the scene of trees made. That brilliant red which swayed with the breeze, all held up by strong white logs. It looked so uniform. So exact and identical. No matter which way anyone looked, all that could be seen was the red and white.

Mom had taught me to look closer. She said that Forever Fall was nature's embodiment of humanity. Something that all young Reapers needed to learn. All the trees together made up an impressive forest. Strong enough to survive harsh winds and massive thunderstorms. Even fires, if and when they broke out and wreaked havoc on everything, the forest survived and flourished in the ashes. Mom said it was very much like humans themselves.

But there was more to it than that. While the forest looked so consistent, so steady, I only had to look more closely to spot the differences. Each tree was different. The reds of their leaves were all different, some crimson, some rouge. Others were ruby red. And others still were nearly orange. One had a birds nest, bringing new life into this world. Another held the decaying remnants of a elderly mammal. Some had vines, some had moss, many more with branches that jutted out every which way. The more I looked, the more I could realize that each tree was different, unique in some way.

Mom's lesson that day didn't make much sense to me then. I don't think I had fully understood it at this point in my life, either. But living around humans for so long, talking with them, laughing and crying with them. The message was slowly seeping in. It almost made me wonder what other lessons mom had taught me, that I was just too young or too inexperienced to fully understand.

The trees did always look extra lovely when I thought about her.

"Please keep extra vigilance, students," came Headmaster Ozpin's voice, interrupting me from my thoughts.

It seemed like all of us were lost in our thoughts. While the headmaster stayed in between us all, this random freshly made team of ours stood around him like bodyguards. The rabbit girl -Velvet Scarlatina- stood out front, with the green haired meanie in the rear. Jaune and me stood on either side; me on the left and Jaune on the right. Maybe it was because I was left-handed or something. It made no matter.

Velvet was quiet, though she seemed super pumped for the adventure. There was a little hop in her step whenever she moved, and her tall ears bounced playfully. Was it rude to say hop to a rabbit human? Blake _had_ been telling me that some words were considered rude to use for humans with animal traits -darn, faunus. I have to get better at remembering that humans called them faunus- and didn't like to be called or associated with certain things.

Even though Blake seemed to have gotten used to the fact that Yang would call her kitten or kitty or anything else associated with a baby feline. It was true though. Blake was very much cat-like.

But while she and the meanie were doing whatever they were doing, Jaune was the only one acting… non-Jaune-like. Well, they all weren't acting very Jaune-like, but Jaune was the only surprising one. He walked as if the fate of the world was on his shoulders. He was sullen, quiet and very sad. But above all else, he looked hyper focused. One handheld onto the scabbard of his, able to transform into its shield at a moment's notice, while the other looked ready to grab at his sword just as quickly.

He stared straight ahead, but his eyes were on a swivel, looking everywhere for the witches. Jaune had always been deathly fascinated by witches. It was like he knew more about witches than even Weiss! He knew more about them than me, that was for sure. But then again, I didn't know much about them. Witches tended to stay away from Reapers. It might have had to do with their intelligence. They were wickedly smart after all. Maybe not as smart as Reapers, but what creatures are?

Jaune stumbled over a loose low-hanging branch, quickly righting himself. I waited for him to look around like he always did. To check to see if anyone had noticed his little tumble. I was even prepared to give him a Yang smirk and wink. That would get a laugh out of him. Or at least a groan.

But no, there was no reaction out of him. His head didn't rise to look around and there wasn't even a sheepish expression on his face. No shoulder hunched over in embarrassment. Nothing. Not even a single sign of anything which had come from my books on the subject.

Just that same somber face and lowered shoulders and focused gaze on nothing at all.

I huffed. Everyone was being so quiet and calm and collected. It was really ruining my fun. Come on people! We were going to fight some witches. Huntsmen liked that sort of stuff, right? It wasn't like they were that strong.

Okay, maybe they could be a little strong. But people were just so squishy. Headmaster Ozpin wouldn't be super squishy thought. He was the headmaster. And he always spoke in circles. It played with my head a little bit too much, and I'm pretty sure he knew I'm not human, but he hadn't attacked me or anything. So I think we came to a mutual understanding.

What that understanding was, I had no idea. But it looked like he was perfectly calm, even with me walking beside him.

"So…" I began, not really sure what I wanted to say, just that this silence was boring me to tears. "Does anybody know how they want to beat the witches?"

"ABC," Jaune half-whispered, half-muttered, not taking his eyes off their invisible target.

"That is correct Mister Arc," the headmaster said with a nod. "Though I do believe a more exact plan could be discussed between the four of you on how best to go about this mission."

"Are you not going to help us?" The meanie said.

Headmaster Ozpin shook his head, "of course I will be there to assist you all, Mister Thrush. But this is still a mission for your students to master. I will of course be willing to interrupt to ensure the flow of the discussion remains on topic, but it is up to you all, with the final decision resting on your team leader, to come together with a strategy that befits students of Beacon Academy. Something which proves all your strengths and covers all your weaknesses. Whether they be known to all, or just to your lonesome."

Why did I have a feeling that the headmaster was calling me out just then?

"I guess that means it's time to talk." Velvet said, motioning everyone towards her. "I guess to start off with, we can go through names and a bit about ourselves. Coco always said that the best path to a good team was some good team bonding. Though, for her that usually meant shopping sprees. Oh, I'm Velvet Scarlatina, second year. Not a team leader, but partner to one for Team CVFE."

"Russel Thrush, first year and member of Team CRDL."

"Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR."

I looked between all of them, before remembering it was my turn. "Oh! I'm Ruby. My team is Team RWBY. I'm pretty good with a scythe if I do say so myself. And my mag -erm- semblance is super speed."

I could feel Headmaster Ozpin's lingering gaze on the back of my head. I was not enjoying it. Instinctively, I pulled my cloak's hood over my head. I always felt safer when my neck wasn't exposed.

"If we're getting to weapons, then mine are my dust-capable daggers. Get's me up close and personal to the animals, which is a perk." Thrush gave Velvet a look, which she seemed to shrug off.

"I'm mainly a hand-to-hand fighter," Velvet said, still not paying Thrush any mind. "I do have my weapon, but I prefer not to use it unless extremely necessary. And lastly, you Jaune?"

"I have my sword and shield," Jaune said simply, still lost in his own world.

Was that what I looked like when I got trapped in my own head? Just talking to myself while my mind swam in circles and circles without any clear thought process? It was… a little weird. I would need to catch and stop myself from doing that more often. It just looks grumpy. I always thought it made me look roguish or mysterious. Why didn't Weiss or Yang warn me!

Velvet began talking. She wanted to go over the points which Professor Goodwitch had made before we left, as well as explain anything else which we first years might not have understood. Most of it was fairly easy to understand. I wasn't paying much attention. Something about watching out for their cackling. Ya, those creatures did like to move around a lot. And to be wary for any dust usage. Blah, blah, blah.

I guess it would be important for humans to know more about the Loud witches we were going to be fighting. What did Jaune say in class again? They negated semblances and stopped the effectiveness of dust? That wouldn't affect me all that much. I only used a little bit of dust for my Crescent Rose's munition, and I didn't have a semblance. So no worries on that front. And even if they did try to override my dust, I could override their magic with my own. Nothing trumps Reaper shadow magic!

Wait. No magic in my human form.

It would be safest to just shift every once in a while to clear off any lingering witch spells. Wouldn't do well to have a witch be the one to take me down!

But how would I know when to start or stop using my dust or 'semblance'? Did the humans know what spells spoken accounted for what magic was being used? Because I sure didn't learn any witch-talk.

"Do you know what spells witches use when they talk?" I tried asking.

"Huntsmen focused on witches tend to learn a great deal about the words used in witch magic. Most students learn a handful of spells to look out for in their third and fourth years. Professor Port guarantees that he could hold a full conversation with a witch, though how communicative Loud witches truly are with one another is another matter entirely."

So yes, I can't just play around and guess at what spells are being used. I would have to look at what my new teammates were doing.

"Can witches spell a specific person? Or are they more… area of effect types?" Thrush asked.

"Videogame logic? Really?" Velvet said, shaking her head. Then she gave an imperceptible shrug. "I guess it's not the worst logic I heard. They can target specific people, groups of people, particular areas of their surroundings, specific people within a group, you name it. Their spells are a language. Just change the word for 'group' to the word for 'you' and it will have that particular effect."

"Correct, Miss Scarlatina. Your team leader is perhaps the most fluent in a Loud witch's language, though Mister Arc may know his fair share of spell words as well. I will be with you to inform you of anything that may be missed by your compatriots," Headmaster Ozpin informed. "Once more, it is essential you all remain vigilant and focused. Double check what is working and what isn't at every possible moment. Loud witches are better for student practice, as they only negate or reduce a person's ability to attack. Their potions may be damaging, but Loud witches cannot use your own dust against you."

Okay. In all that, only one thing of importance was said. I had to actually pay attention during this fight to know what I could and could not use. The headmaster would know for sure, and if there were any possible remaining inkling he had that I wasn't a Reaper, or other monster for that matter, using magic when I shouldn't be able to would be a clear way to ensure he knew.

At least that would make it more fun, right?

Right?

* * *

**The chapter coming up next is really throwing me through a loop and not in a good way. So, if the quality isn't the best, it's because I'll be spending like zero time editing it. It already ate up more than a month of time trying to just get it out and while I'm not even done it (it's like an average length chapter) I'm already sick of looking at it. Which is unfortunate, since it brings up 1 of 2 reasons this entire mini arc exists in the first place.**

**Alucard45 - Ruby is just too charming and naive. It's so adorable.**

**JackTheSpades - Well, thank you so much for reviewing as often as you do! Really, it's true for everyone that takes the time to comment on this story regularly and irregularly. It's also been great hearing your analyses of the chapters and what you think will be coming up next for our young Reaper**

**Dragonqueen1993 - You're too kind! Too kind! And yes, nothing is more fun than witch hunts and cookies! And since Ruby is getting involved in a witch hunt, that means it's the perfect time to eat cookies without her taking them first! *goes to check cookie jar* Oh, that's why she went on the witch hunt... she already finished them all.**

**FN75 - I hope you enjoy it. Just 2 more left (well, maybe 3 at most).**


	30. Chapter 26

**Took a while to write, but here it is. Just one chapter left to this mini-arc!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 26**

* * *

The witches' den was a cave surrounded by dense underbrush and overgrown prickly bushes guarding the one entrance we could find. From what could be seen on the outside, the cave was long and narrow, but could possibly open up to become a much more cavernous… cavern. A lot more spacious to swing around our swords and stuff. The headmaster confirmed that the cave likely did extend out quite a bit and open up into a main cave, with multiple little cave offshoots. A common unifying terrain that witches of all varieties seemed to like.

Reapers too, obviously.

Who wouldn't like a big common room and little hidey holes to use as a bedroom, dining room and playing room? Those types of caves were incredible! Huh, did mom ever tell me anything about witches having the same living areas that we did? Not that I could remember off the top of my head, but it made sense why that wasn't very important information. Witches tended to leave after spotting a Reaper. They were pretty skittish creatures, for seemingly powerful Higher Order monsters.

It was a little frustrating, to be honest. There I was, a hundred and fifteen years old, and standing outside that cave, listening to Ozpin explain the basics of the witches vocabulary -which he helpfully called 'The Wycca Lexicon', which is way cool- and I felt like I was back in my fifties, learning how to hunt rabbits from my mother. Ah, those were the days. When mom would do the hard work when it came to Reaping and I'd just tag along for the energy.

"Be sure to remember, students. A rolled 'R' and a stuttering 'R' will result in two very different spells. I will be calling out the spells as the witches speak them but be warned. That still leaves precious seconds where you do not know what to expect. Be vigilant. Be patient. And above all else," Ozpin turned to me. "Do not lose yourself in chaos."

I gulped.

Velvet clapped loudly, "I guess it's time to put our training to the test. Be on the lookout, we don't know how deep into the cave system the witches are, so we'll need to be checking each cavern. That, and sealing off those rooms in case they're trying to lead us into a trap."

"They'll die first," Jaune growled.

"Love the spirit. Try to hold the antagonistic angst back a bit. Don't want to call Grimm to us while we're stuck in a cave fighting witches. Russel, do you want to take point?" Russel nodded at Velvet's request, brushing through a mesh of low hanging vines which blocked the entranceway into the cave.

Aside from the prickly bushes and lack of front yard maintenance, it looked like a pretty good home. The vines were a nice touch. I hadn't thought to try that before. Usually I would just place a large piece of bark in front of the entrance or roll a big boulder in front of the exits I didn't use to often. The vines gave the cave a nice homely feel, while still letting int some natural light. I would definitely need to try that out in the future.

I chuckled into my hands to cover the sounds of my laughter. Who'd have thought that a Reaper would already learn so much from a witch!

Velvet followed soon after Russel, then Jaune and I took up the rear. The headmaster followed behind all of us, wearing a light smile as he hobbled along with the help of his walking stick. I let my eyes flicker over to Jaune on my right, where he looked to be brooding silently.

"Are you okay?" I asked him in a whisper.

"Fine." Was his tersely muttered reply.

I frowned. He didn't sound like he was fine. He looked even more angry and jumpy than he did outside the cave. Caves were supposed to make you feel calm and relaxed, not jumpy and anxious.

"Jaune?" I asked once more, this time a little quieter. Without meaning to, I reached for his arm, only to have him forcefully shove me away.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. Now that was rude. I may not have been keeping up to date on my human emotions textbooks from the library, but even I knew shoving people away was considered rude.

However, I wasn't really sure where to go from there. I could do what it said to do in the book; that being to stay away and give him time. But he was so broody since we left on this trip, so I didn't think more time would help. I could do the Yang method and punch him. Or grab onto him and force him to answer me, but that seemed a little too violent. Also, I still wasn't sure how strong I could grab him without accidently breaking something.

That left me with only one option remaining. The Weiss method.

"Jaune, tell me what's wrong, you… you dolt! Or I'll… I'll… I'm not quite sure what I'll do yet, but I'll do it and you're not going to like it!" I stomped my foot and shout-whispered at him.

He growled and spun around to face me with a murderous glare.

"I don't have to tell you anything, alright?" Jaune stepped forward and I reflexively stepped back. "You don't tell me everything, so why do I have to do the same with you?"

"Maybe because you are my best friend and even someone like me can see that you're hurting." My anger slipped out.

I was a freaking Reaper for Salem's sake. If I wanted to, I could tear him to pieces with my bare hands, while in human form. Probably. I could definitely do it in Reaper form, for sure. One look at me and he'd be frozen in place. If I really wanted to, I could search through his mind and pluck out the very memories he was trying to hide. Well, I could do it when he was asleep. Awake Jaune would be much harder, but I was confident that I could still do it!

Taking a breath, I continued, "it's remarkable that Grimm haven't descended on all of us with your emotions going wild like that. Just tell me. _Please_. And… and… And then you can ask me about anything you want, and I promise to answer it truthfully in turn."

Jaune looked straight ahead, over my own. If his eyes weren't so somber, I would have thought he was making fun of my much shorter height.

"Domremy is a small village, maybe a few days drive from Vale. A week at most." He spoke slowly, eyes glazing over with every word. "There were a couple hundred of us. Maybe a handful of huntsmen, mostly from my family. I'm not sure if I told you this, but my father is a huntsman. And his father and his father before him. It goes back generations. The Arc name is pretty well known in some of the small villages around Domremy."

I held back a snort. Jaune Arc really didn't know about how infamous his family was to Reapers. But now wasn't the time to be cracking jokes, even inside my own mind. He looked more depressed than I'd seen him in a while. Almost like how Yang looked that night at the docks.

"Guys! Don't fall behind," Velvet said from further into the cave. Her scroll's flashlight was too bright and I covered my eyes with my wrist.

I turned to our short-term leader, "we'll catch up."

Grabbing Jaune's hand, I pulled him towards the rest of our team and the headmaster, while Jaune continued to speak just above a whisper.

"We lived in a small house. Me, my dad, mom and my seven sisters."

Seven? Didn't he tell me he only had six? I asked him that right away. He shook his head sullenly.

"Saphron, Amber, Lemon, Jasmine, Poppy, Rosemary and… and my little sister Pepper. She was four."

I could feel the sadness rocking through his body. I glanced around, making sure he wasn't attracting any Grimm as he continued to tell his story. The lack of cackling was nice; no witches were close by yet.

"I'm the only son and the second youngest. Right after the twins Poppy and Rosemary, right before little Pepper. We were at a beach, maybe a few miles from home. My da had cleared it of Grimm a few weeks before with the help of Amber and I had begged him to take us there for a family vacation. I got so bad, balling my eyes out to my mom. Even got Pepper to beg for the trip. Da accepted, of course. If nothing to get me to stop whining. To stop complaining. I was young, but not young enough to warrant the terrible behaviour. He should have just told me to shut up. Or hit me to be quiet. I wish he did hit me.

"I remember the beach almost exactly. White sand like nothing I'd ever seen before. And the lake. It was the bluest water has ever looked. Blue and calm and warm and oh so inviting. There were caves around the far shore, maybe a short swim away. The water between the beach and the caves was low enough that my parents could wade through it without much difficulty. I had to stand on my toes and raise my head as high as I could at the time, but I could also tip-toe along the floor to reach them."

Jaune sighed. "It was my idea to have dinner in the caves. There were so many of them. Our parents, Saphron and Amber went to one, so they could eat and talk grownup stuff, while the rest of us would eat together in the cave entrance right next to theirs. All we had to do was listen to Lemon. She was in charge, being the oldest among us, after all.

"But once again, I had to act like a child. I had to pretend to be a huntsman. Like da, like Amber. 'I was the man of the group, without my father around,' of course I was strong enough to protect my sisters if anything was coming for us.

Then we found _them_."

There was cackling. Far down the cave, so far that the only sound was the repetitive low echoing, but it was noticeable. It's eery cry ricocheted across the chamber we were in, bouncing off stone walls, vines and the small pools of water. Stalactites dripped small droplets of water onto the stalagmites below them, breaking up the raucous crackle of bones.

"Keep your guards up," Velvet warned, tightening the tape wrapped around her palms.

"Witches," Jaune muttered, pulling free his sword from its scabbard.

"Witches," I repeated, pursing my lips.

"They were there in those caves. Silent ones, mainly. Didn't know that at the time. That there were different types of witches. Just that there were a whole bunch of them. There were probably no more than four or five, but every time I think about it, it feels like there were dozens, maybe hundreds." Jaune let out a disconcerting snort.

"like any of us would have survived if there had been that many.

"We screamed and ran. The parents and our older sisters came to save us, but by then it was already too late. Pepper had been hit by something. Some strange potion which clung to her like dust. She said she was alright when dad scooped her into his arms. Amber stayed back to give us some time to escape, then once we were all clear of the caves and back to the beach, she collapsed the cave entrance on their heads.

"I thought we were home free. Heh, we all did. We cheered, we hugged. I cried. Then the ground shifted. The white sand underneath our feet shook and… and changed. From the most incredible white ever to plain old regular yellow sand. I had no idea what was going on at the time. It was a spell you see. Those witches had laced their magic potions and their spells into the very ground as a last-ditch method to kill whoever was barging in on their home. Since Pepper was the only one who had been hit by a witch's potion… well, she was the only one the spell targeted. She died before any of us realized what had happened. What was going on. Just, one second we thought we had escaped and the next, my father was carrying around the body of his youngest child, my little sister.

"It was my fault we were at the beach that day. My fault we ate in those caves. My fault we went exploring further in."

_My fault._

The words echoed in my head, pounding like a drum. What happened to him, it was just so similar to what happened to me. No wonder he felt so bad.

"Hey Jaune?" I touched his shoulder lightly.

"Ya?"

"Oh, umm…" I forced my question back into my throat. Hey Jaune, was there a Reaper there to help? Stupid question. Stupid Ruby. Of course there was no Reaper there. Jaune would be that much more scared. Or his memories would be changed. Or a million other reasons why he would have one of my own blocked from his mind or memory.

Instead, I decided to fall back on my book on humans once again. When something bad happens, it is best to apologize and offer sympathy. "I'm sorry for what happened to your sister. To Pepper."

"Thanks Ruby. I needed that." Jaune patted my own shoulder and gave my hair a little rub as he walked passed. "Oh, and Ruby? Can you… not tell anyone? I don't want any sympathy or anything from anyone else. I only told you and Pyrrha about it and… I don't think I'm ready to tell everyone just yet. Maybe after today. Maybe after I face down a witch one more time. Closure, you know?"

I nodded, even though I didn't know. It seemed to make him happier, judging by his smile. Finally with a calming sigh of relief, he took out his shield.

"Alright, let's go kill ourselves some witches."

"Ya!" I cheered.

Cackling shot out through the caves. Louder this time.

"They're just up ahead. Remember everyone, listen to the noises they make, and if you don't understand the language, wait for me, Jaune or the headmaster to interpret before attacking. Don't expect your weapons to work how they had for years. And keep a hand on your fire dust at all times." Velvet said, sounding much more like a leader than I ever had. "This time tonight, we'll be back in Beacon with the first Higher Order notch on our belt!"

Some cheers erupted from the three students, brandishing their weapons. Headmaster Ozpin smiled as he stood back behind us, hands on his cane. I stayed silent, excited to be going after some witches, but not so happy about my fellow classmates ticking off any more notches on the Higher Order belt. Especially not the final boss of Higher Order Salemites.

Shaking the thought from my head, I gave my sniper-scythe a gentle pat. Time to finally let loose

* * *

**Ended up being a bit exposition-y, but whatcha gonna do? It did answer a question which I put out in like the second chapter, though it was such a minor detail that I don't think anyone commented on it. But it explains Jaune's drive to be a huntsman in this fic.**

**theshocker517 - Ruby is going to be in for some trouble quite soon. Didn't she ever learn to listen to her elders? Or maybe in this case, listen to her youngers?**

**Alucard45 - One more chapter until you find out if your (first) prediction is right! The second one may take a little longer. But don't worry. it's coming up sooner than you think!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Thanks for that. Always good to know that one bad chapter won't tear down a fic. Even if it sounds obvious after the fact. :)**

**lasereye27 - Oh Ozpin, always trying to hide what you may or may not (probably the latter *wink*) know.**

**See you all in two weeks!**


	31. Chapter 27

**The next one.**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 27**

* * *

The cave was dark, save for the lights from out flashlights, pointing every which way. As our lights passed over the rocky walls, the telltale glimmer of unmined dust kept drawing my attention. The glittering rocks sparkled red, orange, and green. Faint, small patches between the dark grey and blackened rock. I wanted to try scratching some off the cave -it was always good to have some extra dust and all-, but something was telling me that then was not the best time to do it.

Maybe on the way back.

The atmosphere was tense. Silent footsteps were accompanied by heavy breathing. Some gentle shoulder taps to keep me in line and not distracted, but little else. Okay, that wasn't completely true. Every few minutes, there was the unmistakable rattling of bones, somewhere off in the distance. It was always an echo. Always sounding just out of reach, but also too far to be around the next corner. The cackling of Loud witches.

I could almost feel my teammates tensing up, pausing their motions as the crackling sound washed over us all. Headmaster Ozpin was pausing as well, listening in to the sounds with his eyes closed, but was definitely not as tense as the rest of his students. Should I be tensing up too? Would it be weird if I didn't?

I decided to just act normally and if asked, play it off as having had confronted Higher Order Salemites before. They all know my team went up against a Skin Crawler and Reaper -well, me- before. Witches would be chump change compared to them. Why Yang thought chumps -whatever those were- were a form of currency, was beyond me.

The eery jingle echoed through the caverns once again, this time picked up by another, different set of rattles.

"A second one," Velvet warned. "They're communicating. It's a little too far for me to tell what they're saying though. Headmaster, any luck?"

"No," I could see the headmaster shake his head in my periphery. "But it is best to assume that these witches have noticed our presence and are at alert."

"You heard the headmaster. Stay on guard. And remember to communicate with each other."

We all responded our confirmations.

"Does anybody else hate how dark it is right now?" Russel made a quick joke as we all moved into the next major cavern of the cave system.

There were a few chuckles, but not much.

"I can barely see my hand right in front of me when I turn off my light," Jaune replied. "It's…" He paused, not exactly sure where he wanted that sentence to go.

"Overwhelming," Velvet replied. "The lack of knowing. Where you are, where you were. You realize that you can't really tell where your limbs are that well, without your sight. You're completely lost in the haze. Disorienting."

There were nods from my two other human classmates.

"It's how I'd describe it at least." Velvet continued, "the echoes do effect me a lot more than they effect any of you guys, however. Perks of being a rabbit faunus, I guess."

She sighed.

"It is a more than beneficial trait to possess, Miss Scarlatina," the headmaster added.

"Thank you, sir."

It was so strange to me to hear what they all felt about, well, caves in general. I looked around, shutting off my flashlight for just a moment so I wouldn't be noticed. The all encompassing darkness was just that. All encompassing. But above all, it was warm and comforting. All my problems seemed to melt away in the black expanse. There was life in here. Even without the humans and witches, there was life. Bugs, spiders and an assortment of all other creepy crawlies. They lived and died in these caves. In that complete silent, damp. darkness. It was comforting to know that whether or not I was around, these bugs would still go on their merry, buggy way. The darkness didn't scare me. It gave me a sense of purpose. A sense of well-being. Of safety.

And at that exact moment, I felt something on the back of my neck. No, I did not scream as loud as I possibly could and jump out of my skin. It sure did feel that way, though.

"Ruby!" Jaune whisper-shouted. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," I stuttered, lifting the hood of my cloak up and over my head, covering my neck. "You just scared me, is all."

Instead of responding to me, he gestured with two fingers, pointing towards a smaller side cave entrance, jutting out just lower than eye level. It was small, too small for someone like Jaune or even Russel to fit inside.

"Keep an eye that way. Velvet said she heard something from there."

I nodded, pointing my sniper rifle towards it. "Want me to go in and check it out? It might loop back into the bigger cave over there. Could be good to seal off an exit. Maybe disrupt some witch spells."

Jaune thought for a minute and nodded. I repeated my idea to Velvet who scrunched her nose. "I don't like the idea of you going in alone…"

"I believe Miss Rose's speed makes her the perfect candidate to attempt a solo mission. As long as she agrees to not engage the enemy if she spots them?" Headmaster Ozpin raised a single eyebrow to me.

I nodded furiously, saluting Velvet in the process. "I promise!"

"Then go. You have three minutes."

With that, I slipped down into the mini entrance way.

Ah, beautiful, all encompassing darkness, my old friend. I immediately felt more at ease. So much so it was shocking. I knew we Reapers were solitary creatures, but after having spent so many weeks surrounded by humans, I hadn't realized how great this feeling was. Taking a brief moment to bask in the solitude, I shook the pre-fighting excitement jitters out of my system and got to work. There were witches somewhere in this cave and boy did I want to have first crack at them.

Feeling my way through the narrow cave, I ducked under a jutted out rock, careful to step over ankle high stalagmites. The cackling bounded through the tapered outcroppings, disorienting me. I couldn't pinpoint where exactly those darn witches were!

"Hey Ruby?" I heard Velvet loudly whisper from where I had come from. "Everything going alright?"

"Ya!" I responded, trying to match her volume with my own. "Going to go in a little farther now. I'll shout if I spot anything."

Maybe. Maybe I will shout. Unless they look like more fun fighting alone.

No, no. Bad Ruby. No fighting three witches at once for you. You're supposed to be acting human and no changing into your Reaper form because you are antsy. Do this properly.

After giving my noggin a good smack or three, I caught a glimpse of something. It was just in the corner of my eye, but there was no mistaking it. It was… it was…

A floating cookie!

My mouth watered. Licking my dry lips, I took a step towards the mystery cookie, only for it to vanish from my line of sight around the next corner.

Get back here magical flying cookie! I sped off towards my treat. It looked so warm. So fresh. Just so good. Like Beacon made in their cafeterias every day. I wanted it. No, I needed it. With every fiber of my being.

No longer caring where I stepped, I could feel stalagmites breaking on my knees and ankles, but I paid no mind to it. Not when the cookie had fled my vision again!

And that's when I smacked into it.

So, witches, at least in hand-drawn or painted human books always look like ugly, well, humans. Long, curved noses, chins which jutted out awkwardly, usually with a few yellow or brown crooked teeth hanging out of their lower jaw. Boils, puss, weird hair. And of course, pointed hats with wide brims which humans have delightfully referred to as: witches hats. Truly these creatures were the epitome of naming things.

While yes, I could sort of understand where the humans got that idea from, real pictures of witches looked a little different. Generally, they were all black. As dark as Grimm. Though, underneath that dark pitch, there was a bony structure that looked more like a freshly made zombie. Or Necromancer, more like.

However, humans could only see their physical appearances. It took a special type of Salemite to see what lay beneath.

Reapers.

It took a Reaper.

And, standing -well, sitting- closer to a witch than I've ever had in my entire life, I could finally understand my mother. Their lives. It was… horrid. They had a lifespan, a long one, about as long as a vampire, but it was consumed by something. Something couldn't quite gleam, but it left me sick to my stomach. Something I really didn't want to touch with my Reaper Scythe. No wonder Reapers and witches generally stayed away from each other.

The witch's lower jaw rattled, it's crooked teeth clinking into one another to form that so frequent cackling sound. It honestly looked quite funny up close, but then was not the time to start giggling at literal tooth waggling.

"I guess I'll go now. Do you still have that cookie?"

The witch swiped at me with a sharpened claw of a hand, dragging trails of electric dust behind her. As soon as it touched the rocks of the cave face, they fizzled with unnatural energy.

"I'll take that as a no. Welp, better run!" Darting from my place on the ground, I raced under a raised arm, rose petals appearing from shadow, flying madly in the windy confusion I left in my wake.

"Found 'em!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying to hold back my excitement.

"Ruby!" Jaune yell was further down, but I followed it back to the big entrance they were all waiting in. I immediately rushed into his awaiting arms. Hugging was nice.

He placed a shaking hand on the crown of my head, "Ruby, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

I shook my head into his shoulder, smiling openly now that it blocked me from view. "No, I'm all good. They nearly tricked me with a cookie!"

Jaune snorted. "Of course they did."

"Ruby focus." Velvet interrupted, "how many did you see and are they headed this way?"

"I saw just one and-"

Cackling interrupted me, much louder than before. It was closer. Much closer.

"I guess that answers that question," Russel mused, clinking the edge's of his daggers together.

"Stay close, listen carefully. I-" Velvet paused, her rabbit ears twitching. A lower rumble of a rattle filtered through the cavern.

"There's a second one being called in. Couldn't hear everything but be careful when you access ice dust. The whole place is wired with electricity."

Oh right. I should have told them about that.

"Pay attention to what Miss Rose mentioned as well," the headmaster said. I jumped, completely forgetting he was there. "She was distracted by a… cookie, was it? It means they are old enough to access mind magic. If what you are seeing does not match what you are hearing, be warned that such images may be false."

Huh, "what about the other way?"

"Pardon?"

"What about hearing stuff? Or feeling stuff?" I asked.

"Witch spells can only effect sight."

Only sight? Here I was thinking that their mind magic would be similar to mine.

"Watch it!" Velvet shouted, barreling into me. We tumbled over each other and my head knocked very hard against a jagged stone protrusion.

There was an explosion where I was standing, fire erupting in swirls of orange and purple. Dust and dirt littered the room.

"You alright?"

I nodded, "y-yeah."

"Pay attention then," she scolded, using my shoulder to pick herself up and turn towards the witch I had bumped into.

At once the room was filled with sound. Steel hit sharpened bone, sparking with each contact. Cackling and the sounds of rattling bone became the underlying background noise. Dust of all kinds fizzled and roared, much to the surprise of those using it. I tried my best to keep up with the madness.

It was hard to fight with such a long weapon in such a tight corridor. There was no way for me to properly spin my scythe to get in any good hits. I jumped back, balancing on a groove seven feet off the ground to use as a sniper's ledge. My weapon shifted in my arms and I gazed down my sight, waiting for Russel to finish his last attack and move out of harm's way.

With one final strike, ending in flying sparks and purple flame lighting the cavern floor, I took my shot.

The echo pounded into my skull. The entire cave seemed to shake. Either that, or my mind was rattled by the volume.

"Ow!" Shouted velvet, clutching onto her ears, kneeling behind Jaune and his open shield. She gave me a deathly glare. "Don't do that again!"

"Sorry," I squeaked out, nearly tumbling face first into the ground below. Yup, Velvet was right. No more sniper shots in a cave. Bad idea.

Cackling continued but followed up by a higher pitched cackle.

"A second one!" Russel shouted, escaping just before he got sliced in two.

I saw Ozpin deflect a glass container with his cane, it's contents cracking open onto the stone, melting it into a pile of goo and steam. He looked rather pleased with how things were going.

"Russel, jump!" Velvet shouted. Doing so, the ground directly under him began to shake, collapsing int on itself before returning once more to solid rock as he landed.

"Ruby! No fire dust!" Jaune warned, ducking behind his shield as something smashed against it.

Attacks came faster now, with two witches to deal with. Jaune and Velvet seemed to trade off directing Russel and me to do things. From putting away our weapons, to using different dust.

I slashed at a witch, cleaving off its hand with one strike. The witch screamed in pain, clutching its joint, as strange mucus bubbled up and out of it.

"Ruby jump!"

"Ruby duck!"

Velvet and Jaune's commands rang out, leaving me standing still.

At once I felt the two-pronged attack. My hair erupted into flame just as my feet sank into the ud that wasn't there a moment ago.

I was a Reaper. A Grim Reaper. The most powerful Salemite species in existence. Nothing would be able to defeat me when I reached maturity. Nothing. I was damned well sure of that fact. I was nigh invincible to most attacks when I wanted to be and there was nothing which did not fear my presence. I was what scared my teammates at the docks.

Not the White Fang humans. Not the Skin Crawler. Me. I did not scream in fear.

But I screamed when I felt my hair on fire. I screamed when I couldn't move my legs. I was waist deep into the ground, trying desperately to lift myself up with my hands, but struggling to do so. My hair was on fire. Burning. I could see it burning. The bright light. That flickering fire.

It was there. My hair was going to burn. I was going to burn.

I was going to die.

Tear ran down my cheeks as I tried to pull myself out, shaking my head desperately at the flames licked my scalp. I could see it getting closer. Closer to my face. To my eyes.

My neck.

"Help! My hair's on fire!" I gasped out, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to get the image of my head alight out of my head. But it was still there. Of course it was! I was burning to death!

"Ruby!" Jaune shouted. I felt his hand on my shoulder. A hand stroking my hair.

I opened my eyes, shocked into confusion. My mind was playing tricks on me. I saw him looking down at my teary face. Hand stroking through my hair.

"W-what?" I looked around. Velvet and Russel were doing their best to hold off the witches' attacks as Jaune comforted me.

"It's mind magic Ruby. Mind magic. Just magic." His words were low, even with the chorus of sounds which filled the area.

"B-but…" But I was a Reaper. But I would know what mind magic felt like. So many buts flickered through my mind, but Jaune's hand was patting my head and he was in no pain. I took a deep, shuddering breath, clearing my mind as best as I could. "Just magic," I repeated, letting the thought comfort me.

I opened my eyes again and almost laughed in delight. The flames were gone, leaving just Jaune in front of me. I wiped my eyes. "I'm better now."

"Good, let's get you out of there."

"Don't worry, I got it now." He gave me a look but nodded and returned to join the fray as best as he could. Placing both hands on either side of me, I pushed hard.

Gritting at the effort, I felt my hands dig into the ground, cracking the stone as I pulled myself free.

That was not an enjoyable experience. Not even a little bit. I glared at the two witches, feeling anger bubble up inside me.

Rage.

"Russel, put away your fire dust!" Ozpin ordered, ducking quickly underneath a potion which let out an ear-piercing inhuman shriek upon contact with the wall.

Velvet was saying something to me, but I could hear. My ears were buzzing with energy. I tilted my scythe behind me, leaning down into a runner's stance. The witch that attacked me with mind magic turned towards me, cackling. Each of its hands held glass vials; one red, the other black.

I shot off, my first step echoing behind me. I kept my Crescent Rose behind me, until the very last second. With the sound of bone scratching bone, it threw the red vial, its contents spewing forth from the shattered glass container. I jumped to the side, continuing on my course for the Salemite. It bubbled up, then exploded behind me.

I threw myself into a tight arc, swinging my blade over me, slicing clean through stalactites and into the ground near the witch. I frowned. A miss. It had moved faster than I had expected. No, I was moving slower. Damn witch magic, that must have been what Velvet was warning me about.

Something hit me in the face.

I was thrown. More than that, I was thrown up and out, flat onto my back.

"Ugh," I shook myself off from the witch's magical effects.

"Miss Rose, are you alright?" Headmaster Ozpin asked, as he looked down on me from the cave ceiling.

"Are you on the… Oh." No, the headmaster was standing regularly. I was the one on the ceiling.

Okay, not too bad. I didn't feel like I was upside down. I jumped and felt myself landing on the ground -ceiling- as if I was right-side up. Strange, but not terrible. I could work with this.

"Expect fire dust to work twice as well!"

"Put away all gravity dust!"

"Don't touch the vines, they'll attack you!"

"Watch out for sand traps!"

"Watch out for electricity in the stalagmites!"

The commands and orders came quickly, nearly every other second. Velvet and Jaune were fantastic. Velvet was worlds above Jaune and Russel in strength. Truly a prodigal huntress. She barked out orders and translations based on cackles I had barely even registered.

Jaune too. He was scared, hiding behind his shield. But just as often, he used it to protect his teammates. Standing next to Russel, giving him time to breath, Jaune deflected another vial, letting is spark harmlessly in the air. He was talking to Russel, devising some sort of strategy by the look of it. Russel nodded and charged back in.

"Ruby! We need you to distract the other witch, so Russel has a clean shot!"

"Right!" Who cares that I was on the ceiling? This was great! I charged in, jumping up -down- so Crescent's blade could reach the witch above -underneath- me.

My surprise blow from above forced the two witches apart for the first time in the battle.

"Now!" Jaune shouted.

Flame erupted from both of Russel's daggers, blinding me with the sudden flash. There was a shriek which accompanied the cackling.

We all retreated back, catching our breaths, and waiting for the dust to settle. Jaune and Russel bumped fists. Even Velvet gave him a nod of respect.

"Good going Arc," Russel said between pants.

"Think we got it?"

"Hopefully. Gave us a bit of a break either way. Think we could try that again?"

Russel shook his head. "That used up the last of my fire dust. Wouldn't have been that big if the witch didn't spell fire dust to the Nth degree."

As the smoke cleared, we all heard the cackling of a single witch. It was joined in by a second of higher pitch. My teammates froze as a lower pitched cackle joined the mix.

"The third one," Velvet squeaked out.

"We didn't kill it," Jaune's good mood immediately fell.

"Be wary students. I believe I will be joining you in the next bout. Three is much harder that two. I still have faith. Do you?"

The headmaster looked to each of us, waiting for our nods. "Alright. Trust in your talents and each other. Go."

We jumped at the three of them as one. Once more, the cavern; already double the size from all the previous chaos, filled with light and sound.

Commands now came at twice the speed from Velvet and Jaune, but also the headmaster himself. He looked at ease as he deflected vials of potion with his cane, each one ricocheting into empty holes or back at the witches themselves.

I did my best to join in, follow along with the instructions. To act tired when Velvet told me about the spell woven on me. To act confused, when Jaune recognized the disorientation spell. To act clumsy -more clumsy- when Headmaster Ozpin told me about the random tiny stalactites which blocked my movements. Popping up and disappearing every few seconds.

None of that effected me. Or maybe it did, but not enough. Mind magic was playing havoc with me, but exhaustion was far from coming. I barrelled through rock, breaking it with my legs without notice. Dust was going haywire around me, but I used little of it on my scythe. Too many commands.

Too many orders.

Three Higher Order Salemites.

Three.

All cackling.

That cackling was really starting to annoy me.

To piss me off.

To-to frazzle my nerves.

What did Jaune say? Something about the end of the gravity dust effects?

I fell from the ceiling to the floor, quickly righting myself and reorienting myself in the ongoing battle. I ducked under a bony claw and deflected another with the side of my scythe.

The headmaster told me to duck. Velvet told me to roll. Jaune told me to jump. I was hit. Again and again and again. I checked my scroll, only for it to fizzle out and blink off with a flicker of smoke out the top.

"I told you no electronics!" Velvet shouted as she flipped out of harm's way from another dust-laced strike.

"Sorry!" I tried, flinching as a potion exploded right next to me, throwing green smoke around.

"Get out! That's poisonous!"

"Oh, right." I darted to -supposed- safety.

The fighting continued. I looked at Velvet as she panted, sweat dripping from her face, hair clinging to her skin. I looked to Jaune, his voice was hoarse, yet he still barked out directions whenever he heard that cackling.

"Don't touch the-" the rest of Headmaster Ozpin's order was blocked out by another boom.

The smell of dust clung to my clothes. It felt suffocating. The air itself so deep in the cave was already stale, but the dust and debris was making it so much worse. I coughed to clear some.

A witch shrieked and I blocked a blow with my wrist. "Oops," I muttered, pushing back and desperately hoping nobody had seen.

More shouting, more yelling. More noise. It was too much. Jaune shouted something Getting too crazy. Velvet pointed at me and at something else in the distance. Ozpin said something, with a small wink. I couldn't understand their orders, much less follow them.

It was chaos. I couldn't do it. I had… I had to stop. Take a break. Take a…

I fell onto the cave's sloping wall. At once the entire side turned an electric green, shaking the entire cavern.

"No!" The headmaster screamed, running towards us.

The cave. It was collapsing. Collapsing in around us. Separating us from the witches. A final play to escape and I had set it off with my clumsiness.

I saw Jaune struck across the face, his aura cracking as he landed unceremoniously on the groun. Unconscious.

Small rocks were falling, making way for larger cracks, larger boulders to begin their descent.

They were going to hit him. Hit all of them.

The witches were cackling as they began their retreat, flinging one final potion backwards, straight at my unconscious friend.

"NO!" I screamed, throwing out my hand.

Then too many things happened at once.

The boulders collapsed, sealing me off from the rest of my team and the headmaster. Jaune was thrown from his place on the ground by some unnatural force. Velvet and the headmaster, who both had been rushing to Jaune's aid were frozen in place for a second. And Russel. Russel was going to live for another seventy three years.

It was dark when I woke up again. The smell of used dust filled my noise and the lingering effects of so much magic filled the room to bursting. I looked around, waiting for my eyes to adjust.

A few stray pebbles fell from the roof of the cave to fill up the last few spots between the larger boulders and rocks from the collapse. The witches weren't in sight, but that was the least of my worries.

Would they think I had died?

And what had happened just now?

Did… did what I think happened just happened?

I coughed, clutching at my chest. Damn, my arm was scratched up. My leg was pinned under a massive boulder, but I easily shoved it aside, rolling out of the way as rocks fell to fill up the gap my body had left.

No big injuries. There was some blood leaking from my arm, but nothing too severe. I wiped it on my cloak, watching as the skin patched itself up right in front of me.

There was some faint cackling.

I sighed. Of course they had survived. They had knocked out Jaune and caused Russel and Velvet who knows how much damage. They would not survive the night. Nobody attacks my humans. My friends.

I was a little shocked how quickly Russel and Velvet, two people I barley knew became friends. Jaune was my best friend, but somehow they had become friends too.

Was that a human thing?

I shrugged off that thought as I let the darkness around me become that much darker. I placed my Crescent Rose on my waist as my Reaper Scythe swirled around in front of me, soaking in the shadow until solid. The deadly blade curved down into an impossibly sharp tip. I could feel the change in my eyes as they flickered from silver to ruby red.

My head spun as I heard the next cackle. It would be that witch's last. Phasing through the cave wall, I reached a new passageway. The witch didn't even have time to laugh another boney laugh before its head was cleaved from its Grimm-like neck.

One, I said in my mind.

I floated down to it, gripping at an ear and ripping it from its head. Proof of the kill. For the school's sake. The humans would require proof to reduce their fear of the cave system.

Humans required such compassionate measures.

The next witch went just as quick. This time its arms went first. Then its legs. I remembered this one. It was the one who had tricked my mind with fire. No Salemite may live after pulling such a stunt on one such as myself. It had to die.

It held no higher purpose. Nothing but to die by my blade. A Reaper refuses to kill humans, to even strike pain into them. But witches were not human. They had not been human for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Long before my time. Before Salem's time. Their only duty was to die.

I faltered, flickering out from my Reaper form, back to human. That was… that was intense. Too intense.

I didn't like how I felt just then.

There was… emotion in my Reaper guise.

"There shouldn't be any emotion," I whispered to myself, eyes wide and shiver running up my spine.

It took me longer to find that last witch. Not because it had hidden itself better, but because it was fleeing further into the caves. It had seen me as a Reaper. So it was leaving.

Witches and Reapers did not live together after all.

And witches always surrendered to Reapers.

Always.

So too did that last one. Even in my human form, my strength was enough. It had tried to throw its vials, to shout its words and spells, but I did not understand, much less care.

It died in fire from its own dust.

I took a charred hand.

I let myself a moment's of rest. To shake out the final bits of nerves I had carried from that big battle.

I phased through the boulders which blocked my path, quickly switching to my human form as I heard the voices of my teammates.

Looking around, I smeared myself with dust and debris. With a nail I scratched at myself, ripping up small cuts all across my arms and head. They were small and would heal very easily, but hopefully it would be enough to fool them. At least for a little while.

"Ruby!" Velvet screamed as she barreled into me with a tight hug. I felt my shirt grow damp from tears. "I-I thought you had died. Th-that they had killed you. That the co-collapse…"

She couldn't finish her sentence as she descended into tears once more. I wrapped my arms around her, completing the hug. It felt good to hold onto her so tightly.

"I'm okay," I whispered out, nuzzling my chin into her shoulder. "I'm okay."

But I was more than that.

I had done magic.

I had done magic in my human form.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the climax and end to this mini-arc! It was a joy to write this chapter. The next one will probably be an interlude, but after that we will return to our usual Grimm Reaper plot. I'd like to give a quick thank you to everyone at the RWBY Nook discord for helping me figure out what humans feel when inside a cave. Cuz honestly? Ruby and I share similar feelings about caves. Good to know that I'm as weird as I've always realized.**

**Alucard45 - Ya, I wanted it to be pretty obvious that something happened to Jaune, but also 'hidden' enough that a chapter about his Tragic Backstory (TM) would feel like a bit of a reveal. Hopefully I managed that!**

**ccl1995 - Witch Fight! Witch Fight! Witch Fight! Unfortunately, Ruby cannot Reap a witch, as witches aren't human.**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Phew! As long as it was good. Glad to see so many people picked up on Jaune's stuff, even though i did make it more obvious this chapter. I can't believe I started this reveal back in like chapter 2 or 3!**

**IanAlphaAxel - Thank you so much!**

**Sm0keyPanda - Don't you just wanna give him a big ol' hug?**

**FN75 - Thank you for that. It feels so weird/good to have been writing this story for so long. And even as I'm stumbling along writing the next little bit, it's great to know that there is still so much more planned.**

**Darwn Gwein - Aww! I was so hoping somebody would complain about there being a counting error early on! Especially cuz it took like 30 chapters for the big reveal of "Look at 0ne actually foreshadowing things for once!" I'm so glad you're enjoying it.**

**Dragon Lord Draco - That's what I was going for! Jaune knows he shouldn't blame himself for being a kid, but in the end, it was still his actions that caused her death. At least now he is getting some much needed training to make up for that. And possibly, with this battle, some much needed closure. Who knows? Still have to write that (future) scene out.**


	32. Interlude: Beacon

**REAPER IN RED**

**Interlude 5: Beacon**

* * *

Blake felt like a knife was about to be plunged into her gut at any second. She rubbed her hands together, trying to keep her nerves in check. Her team leader Ruby Rose, had left with the headmaster, Jaune and two others, excited beyond measure for a chance to tackle another Higher Order Salemite. She was happy for her friend.

Happy that Ruby was able to take a break from watching over them. As much as she hated to admit it, she had been having nightmares. Nightmares about the skin crawler. About the Reaper. And about Adam Taurus. Her one-time love, until she had realized how abusive he had always been. How demanding he had been. Running away from the White Fang and from him had been the best choice of her life. While there were good memories with him, the bad far outweighed them. She shuddered at the thought. Often Adam would take the form of the Reaper, standing there with unflinching eyes and a slight smile which could bring death to whomever he wanted it to. Others, he was the skin crawler, tearing his body apart limb from limb, thrashing around by his ligaments and tendons with unnatural strength. It left her paralyzed.

But Ruby was there. No matter what time of night, she was there. With a gentle stroke of her cheek or pat on the head. She remembered Ruby even singing her a lullaby on night. The tune sounded so foreign to her, as did the words. Like no other lullaby she had ever heard before. It was incredible in an eery sort of way.

The lullaby told the tale of an old woman who lived a long and happy life, choosing to go willingly with a Reaper into Death's embrace. Even though it was about exactly what Blake was fearing, the gentle tune and kind words seemed to make it all okay. How the tale made the Reaper sound like a messenger; a guide, leading souls to the afterlife instead of the cause of death in the first place, was in interesting and very unique take on Reaper lore. A take she had never heard before. It was calming to think about. It made them safer. Friendlier. More peaceful.

Even though her waking mind knew that wasn't the case.

But even with the thoughts of Reapers and nightmares, what was really worrying her then was Ruby. Or at least the idea that she was about to stab Ruby in the back. She liked Ruby. Loved her like the little sister she'd always wanted, even. But because she loved her, Blake had to break her trust.

The trust which Ruby would never break herself.

Blake sighed, defeated by her own mind and conscience. Ruby helped her so much. She treated her like a regular person, even when she found out about her being a faunus. Ruby had said that even with faunus traits, she was still very much human. Like other humans. She remembered something Ruby had said during that conversation so long ago. When Blake had accidentally let out that she was faunus as well as ex-white fang.

_"__And you're no villain. I know villains. Since coming to Beacon, I think I understand huntsmen's take on villains a lot better. And if you're a villain, then I'm one too."_

She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but it was just so strange of her to say. How would Ruby Rose of all people be a villain? Had she forged her way into Beacon? It wasn't possible. The headmaster had let her in himself. Ruby was a weird one, to be sure.

But that wasn't what worried Blake. No, she could handle weird people. It was the inconsistencies with her. Sometimes she was giggly, wild, and very much like Nora and other times, especially when she thought she was alone, incredibly pensive and introspective. Ruby read books; many more than Blake would have thought she'd read. But there were no adventure books or comics or action. It was all self-help. More than that, it was all books on how to make friends, or human anatomy or how to understand sarcasm and turns of phrase.

Blake was ashamed of herself for snooping, but -as much as she hated to admit it- she was as curious as her faunus trait's stereotype. She saw Ruby's diary, tucked underneath her covers. While most of it made little sense, written in her near illegible scrawl, she did see a few things which worried her. Things about how to act more human. Questions she wrote to herself about how strong humans could punch, or what constituted a 'too hard, aura shattering hit'. At first Blake thought it was about weaponry, but the diary didn't mention any weapons or schematics. Just basic questions or notes on human behaviour and movement. It was a little weird, but nothing of real note.

At least, until their fight. Her and Ren versus Ruby. After weeks of dodging her way to victory, Ruby was going to be given a real challenge by facing the two fastest in the class, save for Pyrrha. Blake had struck her. She remembered striking her. She remembered how hard that hit was. How it clashed against Ruby's arm. How as Blake's sword hit her arm, she didn't feel the usual signs of aura. There was no slowdown inches above her skin, keeping the blade from striking. As aura was meant to do. No, Ruby's skin stopped the blade itself. The powerful blow, mixed with the sudden stop had sent jolts through her arm, making her nearly lose her grip on her weapon.

Yet when Blake had checked the aura gauge on the screen, Ruby's aura barely went down a blip. And Ruby looked to be completely fine. As if she barely noticed it.

_"__It just has to do with my powers, my semblance. It's long and confusing and I don't fully understand it yet. Yang doesn't know either. Just for now, think of it like an… extra aura or something. And please don't tell anybody about it."_

She didn't want to break her promise to her friend. Her first real, human friend. But Blake had also made a promise to the rest of her team. That there would be no secrets between them. For better or worse, they were a family and sometimes families required tough love.

No matter how much it tore at her heart.

"Sup Kitty," Yang said as she returned to their dorm room, hanging up her blazer on her yellow hook behind the door.

Blake looked up, "oh, hey Yang."

Yang raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Not even a groan? No ear twitch? Nothing? What's on your mind? And what up with those uncovered ears?" She wiggled her finger at Blake, who reached up to her unprotected feline features.

"I'm going to try taking my bow off back in the dorm. You know, get used to the idea of not wearing it in public… And give them time to breath."

"Hey Yang? Do you know what's up with Blake. She ran off really fast and she wasn't in the library and- oh, hey Blake." Weiss's worried frown turned into a glare. "Why did you leave so quickly like that?"

Blake looked away shyly.

"Oh, don't give us that. Ruby's my sister and this one's partner. Nobody can outdo her pout," Yang smirked and gestured to the two of them. "C'mon, it doesn't take a genius to know when something's wrong. We faced down the literal face of Death together. You'd think you could trust us with your thoughts just a little bit?"

Blake flinched at that. How close it was to her own inner reasonings about her situation with Ruby.

"Blake," Weiss crossed her arms. "We all promised, no more secrets."

With a sigh, Blake began to share, "it's nothing about me. Just… Ruby."

"Ruby?"

"Ya, what about her?"

"Have you guys noticed anything strange with her?"

Yang snorted, "well ya. Ruby is like the weirdest person I know."

"No," Blake shook her head. "I mean more than that. Like.. has she told you anything about her semblance?"

Weiss's eyebrows curled together in thought, "isn't it just a speed semblance? With the added addition of rose petals flying around everywhere."

"That's what I thought too. It's how it's been all her life, from what I can remember."

"So, her semblance hasn't changed? There aren't anything else that goes with it?"

"Semblances don't change, Blake. Everyone knows that. There may be parts that people haven't mastered yet, but semblances are fixed. A speed based semblance will remain speed based, strength will remain strength and, of course, a teleportation semblance will remain so. Excluding dust of course."

"What about yours?"

Weiss frowned and went to sit down on her bed, letting it bounce her. "The Schnee semblance is different. For one, it's hereditary. Every female Schnee will get it and so will their daughters and their daughters after them. For another… my family has always been… experimentative. You know, research into zombies and chimaera and faeries. Apparently they found a way to bind faery blood to us and well, now we have glyphs on top of the regular summoning semblance. It did make both harder to control, but we still ended up with both."

Blake thought on that, appreciating the silence Yang was allowing. She could see Yang shifting in her seat, ready to tell some likely terrible joke at Weiss's expense. With a flick of the wrist and nod, Yang jumped forward with a smile.

"Oh my god you're a faery princess! And you're short too! Did you Schnees get the height deficiency from faeries as well? Do sparkles follow you when you fly through the air? Can I call you the snow faery now? Okay, I'm done. Thanks Blake."

"Those weren't even very good," Weiss crossed her arms, only for yang to shrug.

"They can't all be winners. Don't worry, I'll have plenty more by the time Ruby gets home."

"Oh joy of joys."

"Back to the topic at hand," Blake interrupted Yang before she could let out another retort. "When Ruby, Ren and I fought, I struck her. I struck her and she felt no damage. Nothing. Has she mentioned anything about that to you? She said it was a part of her semblance she was working on, but I don't know."

"She hasn't mentioned anything," Yang said, deep in thought. "That's not like Ruby. We tell each other everything."

"A defense aspect to her semblance?" Weiss asked, "doesn't sound speed related either. Do you think we all made a mistake classifying her semblance? Maybe it's something else, like… something with rose petals?"

"I honestly have no clue. I remember dad talking with us about our semblances and I remember him being very, very sure about it being speed based."

"What about your mom? Maybe it's a hereditary semblance too."

This seemed to stump the blonde.

"I… I remember Summer. I-I remember her so clearly. Smiles that are almost identical to Ruby's. Warm hugs… I remember her being a wicked warrior. She was a huntress, I think. Nothing could catch her; nothing could touch her…"

"And then something did?"

Yang looked away from her two teammates but gave a firm nod. "Someone. She was murdered. She and Ruby were together, I think. Someone was chasing them. Ruby hid in a cave and Summer went out to stop him, but… anyways, I don't think their semblances are hereditary, but I can't seem to remember."

"Whoa, is Ruby alright? Did he do anything to her?" Weiss asked nervously.

"No, next thing I remember is she starts living with us. Uncle Qrow probably found her or something."

"What do you mean by 'she starts living with us'? Where did she live before?"

"I… I don't know…" Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "She lived with me before then, right? She… Of course she did. We're sisters. We've lived together our entire lives. Her, me, dad and mo- mom? No… Summer. I just can't…"

Yang moved to sit down beside Blake, clutching her head. Blake looked at her, her face in a grimace as she was trying to figure something out that none of them were aware of. It looked like something wasn't adding up in her own head. In her own memories. Blake moved to hold her should.

As soon as he fingers grazed Yang's arm, she sat up with a smile.

"Yup! We lived together our entire lives. Best sister a girl could ask for. Like, duh, she's so adorable."

"Yang, are you alright?" Weiss asked slowly, tilting her head.

Yang stared back, confused. "Ya? Why wouldn't I be?"

* * *

**So much mystery. What could it all mean?**

**C3l3st14 - Nah, they're synonyms. Grim Reaper is just the full title of a Reaper. It's like calling my Wanders, instead of 0neWhoWanders.**

**Astral chronicles - To be fair to Jaune, there were three witches all communicating at once and dishing out spells which may contradict other orders from teammates.**

**ccl1995 - I wanted to write a witch battle since probably the third chapter of this story. There's just so much that can be done with such a unique fighting style.**

**JackTheSpades - Yes, after all this time of building up Ruby as the unstoppable all-powerful creature that she is, it was still important to show that no, she (and all Reapers) aren't indestructible, immortal creatures. She is still very much mortal... well, with a lifespan a multitude of times longer than any human. And to your side note: spoilers! ;) though the answer, or at least some of them to your question/idea is coming up sooner than you think.**

**Alucard45 - Yes! Caves are just so cozy. Interesting crackpot theory you have there. I will not confirm nor deny anything. Except for theory #2. Ruby is entirely Reaper.**

**Dragon Lord Draco - Maybe the mind magic just made Ruby see the thing she desires most? Being Ruby, of course she wanted a cookie.**

**Pleaseworkforonce - Thank you. Hopefully that trend continues!**

**Dragonqueen1993 - Who knows? I'm going with luck.**

**FN75 - That moment when you want to reveal a really juicy detail, but can't because it is going to be super important to the plot... Anyways, that's all I can say on that.**

**TiberiumSnow - Ruby's new abilities will definitely come into play. They have to, after so many chapters dealing with that issue. And more to come!**

**Firewyrm2 - Thanks, and I can't wait to write more chapters! Though, my backlog has officially reached zero, which is a scary thing for me.**

**Sm0keyPanda - Ruby should go learn that sort of stuff... Hmm, I wonder where there is a school, an academy maybe, that can help teach her huntsmen type stuff? Aw, who knows. :) That much harder because she has to act human on top of everything else.**

**chinaluv - Than you so much!**


	33. Chapter 28

**Back at it again!**

**REAPER IN RED**

**Chapter 28**

* * *

The walls of the infirmary were a strange off-colour white which was really annoying my eyes. The doctors and nurses around me were all -quote unquote- huntsman certified, whatever that meant. Not that that mattered all too much when I was concerned. Though, I was pretty concerned. They were looking at my ears and shining lights in my eyes and asking me way too many questions like "where are you right now?" and "how many fingers am I holding up?" and "Are you okay?"

And for some reason, none of them believed my answers of, "the human healing place", "three", and "never better". Wasn't that what these humans wanted to hear?!

They kept trying to poke me with these things they called needles, but they couldn't seem to penetrate my skin -aura, I told them- much to their growing frustration. It was only until Headmaster Ozpin told them that I would not need a blood transfusion, nor any blood tests did they finally back off.

The questions kept on coming, as did the tests; checking my eyes, ears and nose, sticking a light down my throat, poking and prodding every part of me. All the while, I felt weaker. Slower.

I coughed. It was loud and it was raspy, and I could feel it clawing its way up my throat before it spewed from my mouth. It was not pretty. Was this what humans described as 'feeling under the weather'? Because that was too gentle a term. If I wasn't positive it would kill me, I'd have clawed my way into my throat. I still might do it anyways.

"Are you alright dear?" The nurse said, giving me a small, nervous smile.

Heh, I remembered that smile. I used to give a similar one to humans right before I reaped them as a young child. It was shy in a way. Calming without being patronizing. It always seemed to calm them down before I separated their souls from their bodies. A gentle nick with my scythe and it was all over. No more painful than a light pinch. That's what my mom said anyways. They always seemed happy and at ease when I finally released them.

Wait, did that mean that I was dying? Was the nurse going to tell me that I was going to die? I felt my heartbeat speed up as I began to hyperventilate. This set off another round of coughing.

Okay, maybe I was giving coughing a bad reputation. Bad rep. Bad rap? What did Yang say? Doesn't matter. The coughing did work to help calm me down and force me to breath. No wonder humans did it. Coughing was wonderful!

"Never better," I rasped, giving the nurse a toothy smile.

She let out a soft hum, but it didn't look like my comment convinced her.

"Ruby!" I spun at the shout, feeling a pair of arms fly over my shoulders, wrapping me in a tight hug. Two long ears tapped lightly on my head, sending a ticklish thrill through me.

"Hi Velvet," I grinned, squeezing her forearms to try to awkwardly complete the embrace. We giggled at that.

"I'm so glad you're safe. That you made it out. I was so scared. So worried. I don't know how Coco does it, I really don't. I wanted to try being a leader just once with this, but I don't think my heart could take it." I felt Velvet's tears on my neck. "You were so brave. So, so brave. It didn't really hit me before, you know, adrenaline is a hell of a drug. But holy crap, I was so scared. I'm so glad we found you."

"Thanks, me too." Finally letting go of me, I turned to face her just as she rubbed away the tear trails with the palms of her hands. "It was… frightening in there. Seeing you all about to get smooshed by rocks. I wasn't sure if you all were going to survive."

"Well, we were all just fine. You were the one trapped alongside all those witches. How did you…" her question was left unfinished.

"The rocks killed them all. I… I think they were trying to get me then escape. They didn't move fast enough. I cut off their ears to give to the headmaster. Proof that they're dead and the cave is safe."

"You shouldn't have spent the time doing that, Ruby," Velvet said with a glare.

I rolled my eyes, "I had plenty of time. I found an exit right away."

"I have been meaning to ask you about that," the headmaster said as he opened the door to my infirmary room, closing it gently behind himself. "It must have been quite dark," his voice was too sing-song to be serious or threatening. Neither was the glint in his eye something that conveyed strict teacher. "However did you manage to find the one escape route in a collapsed cave system?"

Was he… was he taunting me?

Best to play dumb. I shrugged. "I don't know. It was really, really dark. I felt around a little bit and found a flashlight and then noticed a light where I could escape from."

I looked into his eyes, feigning as much innocence as I could manage. My books all said that liars look away when they lie, and I was no liar. Well, I was, but the headmaster didn't need to know that. Our eyes remained locked on one another for a tense moment, then he looked away.

"Well," he said with a smile. "It was a lucky coincidence then. A beneficial one that allowed for your safe and quick return to us. Please Ms. Rose, do well to rest up. You will need all your strength and wits for the days and weeks to come."

"Thank you, headmaster," I said with a nod of my head.

"I will let the rest of your friends and teammates see you now. They are all waiting outside, anxious for your wellbeing. Do take care to return their worry with gratitude."

"I will, headmaster."

With that, he left my room, leaving the door open as my friends barged inside.

"Ruby!" They all seemed to shout, wrapping me up in tight hugs, and checking every part of me that wasn't already covered in bandages.

I looked up from the mass of arms to see Blake smiling down at me from the doorway. Her arms were crossed, but she was leaning back against the frame with a relaxed posture. It was a small smile, and her eyes looked worried, tired maybe. But she was at ease. I gave her a bright and happy, toothy smile in return.

"Ow!" I let out when I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"That's what you get for making me worried about you." Yang said with a relieved glare. "That's twice this year that I thought you might have been dead. Don't let it happen again."

Weiss huffed, patting the spot Yang had just punched. "Don't mind her so much, Ruby. We were told you were fine before you even arrived at the infirmary. Yang just likes to blow everything out of proportion. That something she did when you were kids too?"

I hummed in response.

"Still, don't be the hero ever again. You know I worry," Yang said, hands on hips. "But fighting three witches must have been beyond awesome, right?"

"Totally cool," Jaune said with a small grin. "Scary and a mess, but so cool. Didn't even realize how much of their language I knew."

"Ya Jaune, you were remarkable. I thought I'd have to pick up some of your slack," Velvet laughed.

Ruby looked around. "Has anyone seen Russel?"

"Russel Thrush? The bully?" Blake frowned.

"He wasn't so bad," Velvet waved Blake off. "Once he was away from the rest of his team, he was pretty nice. Followed all my instructions with little to no fuss. I'd say his and Jaune's strategy was what saved us in the end. Before the whole cave-in at least. That was some serious quick thinking. Anyways, Russel told me to tell you to get well. And that he wants another round in the arena with you. Said he needed to get back to his team."

"Nicer than I thought he'd be," Jaune commented.

"Nice guy, wrong crowd," Nora said sagely, before looking around. "What? I can say smart things sometimes too!"

"You are quite the dork," Ren said with a half smile, much to the surprise of everyone else. "What? I do speak and show emotion, on occasion."

A sudden burst of giggles bubbled up from inside me. I couldn't stop laughing. My friends were all just so weird. My laughter seemed to catch, and Nora started to laugh herself, followed by Yang's own guffaws. Soon, we were all laughing so hard tears spilled from our eyes. Even Blake was quietly tittering. It seemed like we all had something worth laughing about. Relief, joy, or in my case a little bit of both, the mood was so light and happy. Even with how tired I was feeling.

"Well, at least we know your funny bone isn't hurting," Yang quipped.

"Boo!" Nora called, alongside Blake's, "you had better ones."

Even Weiss let out a quick, "now? Really?"

All the while I could only smile at them. It was just so awesome to be with them, to be near them. I'd have never thought I would miss these people after being away from them for such a short period of time. Like, it was only this morning that I saw them last, yet it felt like ages. They were such good friends.

We continued to chat amongst the nine of us. Velvet's teammates in Team CFVY even joined us for a little while before snatching Velvet away for a night on the town. Velvet promised she would keep in touch with the rest of us. After a single day, I felt a part of velvet's team. Team… VRAT? Vibrant? SARR? Shark? SATR. Saturn. Yes, I like that the best. With Velvet, Russel and my best friend Jaune, we are Team Saturn! I wondered if we would ever do anything together again. Even if it was getting food together.

Speaking of food.

"Inside the caves," I began, quickly capturing the rest of their attention. "A witch tricked me into following her with a cookie, and now all I can think about are cookies."

Another round of quick laughter erupted from the group. Yang rubbed my head, messing up my hair, much to my chagrin. "Hey!" I squirmed. At least it would give me another reason to brush my hair again.

"Don't worry Rubes, your big sis has got you covered. I'll be back in a few."

"I'll join you," Blake said, giving me a quick look before following her out of the infirmary room without another word. Strange… did she not like infirmaries or something? Apparently, people die in infirmaries sometimes. Maybe she's just scared of that.

I'll try and help her out tonight or something to lessen her fears. That should help.

"But seriously, what was it like in there?" Weiss asked, leaning forward.

Exhilarating. Fun. A little weird to be slapped around my witches, but mostly fun. And intense. It was magical, really. Without it, I'd wouldn't have been able to use magic outside my Reaper form. But judging from Jaune's face, that didn't seem to be the right answer.

"It lit my hair on fire," I let out with a shudder. I had not enjoyed the powerlessness I felt then. "I'm fine, it was just mind magic. Jaune helped shake me out of it. But I hadn't been scared like that in a very, very long time."

Since before I met Yang. Not since Atlas.

I fought down the spark of fear which shot through my body, subconsciously rubbing my hipbone.

"I'm… I'm actually a little tired." I let out a very fake yawn before a real one took hold.

"Alright, we will leave you be," Weiss said, gently rubbing my shoulder. "We'll be back to see you tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Can you tell Yang and Blake thanks for the cookies for me? I'll… I'll come get them tomorrow or something."

"Of course."

Weiss's light, sad smile was the last I saw of her before she left. Jaune and the rest of them said their goodbyes to me, wishing me a quick recovery. I promised Nora I'd tell her everything in detail, even more than what Jaune had told them. I thanked Ren and Pyrrha for coming to see me. Jaune, we gave each other a quick nod. All we needed was a silent conversation filled with mutual understanding.

He left, walking straighter. Taller. I know he felt so much more confident about himself and his abilities after taking down those witches. They may not have been the ones which took his sister, but they were witches all the same. I could sort of understand that mindset. He had proof that he could beat them now. That he could protect others from being in the same situation that he was in.

Personally, I just wished I could take on the same human that had killed my mom. I guess it was different. Jaune didn't grow up learning that witches were important to the balance between Life and Death. Jaune didn't need to worry about killing a witch and then forever changing who he was. On the inside.

I wouldn't either, anymore.

I had magic now. Magic in my human skin. I wouldn't need to fear any human ever again. I was safe.

Sitting there, alone in my bed in the white walled infirmary, I let my mind go blank and flexed my fingers, waiting for that feeling of magic to wash over me as it had in the cave.

I waited all night.

* * *

**So, with university starting back up again and a severely diminished backlog, postings may slow down a little bit. There will still be one in 2 weeks at the usual time, but after that I may fall off my schedule a little bit. I will be sure to keep you all in the loop to how it's going. Like before, I don't plan on stopping to write this and I have plenty of stuff already outlined for this arc. We are still chugging along!**

**Also... 100k! We made it! This is beyond insane! I didn't expect the fic to reach half the word count, let alone one hundred freaking thousand. Okay, to be fair, the actual story minus these extra bits at the end is only at 86k, but still!**

**Sm0keyPanda - Don't I know it.**

**pokemanik671 - And it shall continue to do so!**

**c3l3st14 - spoilers. ;)**

**Dragonqueen1993 - hope it was worth the wait! It probably wasn't what you expected, but you should know by now that I like to drag this thing out! Don't worry, it'll (hopefully) be worth it in the end.**

**ajokitty1026 - patience young padawan! Oh who am I kidding? I'm just as excited as you are.**

**Alucard45 - So, a good portion of that will be explained during this arc. I can't say anything, cuz spoilers, but know that things shall be revealed.**

**TiberiumSnow - thank you! And it will be fun to see what she has to say about it.**

**JackTheSpades - Oh it'll be fun alright. And Yang's soft reset idea actually came from me having a great idea for how she would react, then forgetting about it when I walked into a new room, then took a moment before I was like: "Yes! Exactly like that!"**

**theshocker517 - hopefully the wait is worth it!**

**FN75 - spoilers!**

**Dragon Lord Draco - Her mother is also dead. Can't make it too obvious that there is magic being played on your mind. Only Reapers are that good.**

**Weird Crack Shipper - Like I said to Alucard, this will be explained this arc and I can't say anything cuz spoilers. Also, I love all the theories everyone has about Summer and Ruby and the Xiao Longs.**

**See you all in two weeks!**

**Sidenote: So, now that Rhodopis, my other long-running story has reached it's conclusion, I am probably going to leave that slot empty for the time being. I have a couple ideas in the works for what I want to put there, but nothing has a big enough backlog yet for it to work. That being said, next Monday, I will post a chapter of a medieval story I have been (very, very, VERY) slowly working on. Updates will be sporadic, similar to Goodrose, but much slower than that, since I'm going for a 4k word count minimum with it. So, see you then with Mytileniad!**


	34. Chapter 29

**Last one in the infirmary**

**REAPER IN RED  
Chapter 29**

* * *

It was a groggy sort of morning. Not just for me, but for everyone as well. They blamed it on the weather; how the skies were grey and overcast and every colour looked muted. I had to double-check it wasn't just me that was having that problem, but it was everyone. Everyone I passed by looked tired, with sunken eyes and plenty with red noses.

They all said it was because the weather was starting to change. It was going to be the colder, rainy season for Vale, which meant plenty of people would have 'colds' which was apparently different than the weather being 'cold'.

I still thought it was because of me though. Why was everyone so tired? They all had their sleep and their warm beds and hair combs to brush their hair. What did I have?

Well, I had a boring old infirmary bed and no sleep once again. During the day, my friends would visit me and give me homework that I was missing -probably the best part of the day- and caught up on all the student drama. I didn't know who half the people they were talking about were, but it made them happy to talk about, so I let them continue. My nights were spent staying awake and giving myself headaches, just like I had been doing before my fight with the witches.

It was like my magic hadn't even showed up then. Knowing that I could do it? That I could use magic in my human form? Well, this was leaving me stumped and just a little bit annoyed.

Okay. A lot annoyed.

And I was super tired. I still had a light cough, which thankfully was getting better. It had been years since I felt this tired. Even without the whole "staying up every night to get my powers to work properly", I felt beyond exhausted. Like… well, I wasn't sure what it was like, since the last time I was this tired, I was trying to escape Atlas's mountains. And that was not a feeling I enjoyed.

At least it was my last few hours stuck in the infirmary. That seemed to brighten my mood a little. Though, I was still contemplating staying up another night to force my magic to work -probably to no avail- or just pass out right then and there.

"This is the first time I've seen her sleeping in days," Blake's whispers tore me from my unwanted slumber. My eyes opened to see the thin blue fluff that was the infirmary's blanket wrapped tightly over my entire body, blocking my sight from those nearby.

"Yes. I was surprised she lasted so long without sleep. She spent every night shaking with tension." It was Weiss's voice now. Just as quiet as Blake's. they weren't in my room, that was for sure.

They were further away. Maybe just outside the door, though I wasn't sure if it was open or closed. The hairs on my arms perked up in a very human way as I could feel their gazes lingering on me.

"Do you think it has anything to do with Yang?" I stiffened, hearing Blake's words.

I couldn't hear anything from Weiss in response. Just Blake's lonesome sigh.

"I guess we'll just have to continue being vigilant. For Yang's sake…"

There was a pause.

"And Ruby's too."

"It's fine, Blake. I understand you're unsure what's going on. So am I. We'll all be visiting Mr. Xiao Long this weekend though, so we can figure it all out then."

"You're right. I just… I don't like feeling like I'm breaking Ruby's trust."

"Neither do I. But sometimes friends need 'tough love', right?"

"Tough love?" Blake snorted, no doubt with her light smirk and the glint of amusement in her eyes. "Is the ice Queen admitting she loved her teammates."

"Preposterous. I'll see you after class Blake. Don't give Ruby too hard a time when she wakes up."

"I won't."

The conversation died down then, Weiss's clicking footsteps dwindling into nothing as she made her way down the hall. All the while, my heart beat rapidly in my chest and my throat felt like it was going to constrict so tightly my head would fall off.

Or explode.

Definitely explode.

I let out a shuddering breath, as slowly as I was able to. That had not sounded like something I was meant to hear. What were they talking about? Did something happen with Yang? Did something happen with me?

Did they know I was a Reaper?

I shook the thought from my head. No, that made no sense. Nobody knew Reapers could take a human guise, let alone live among them.

I made sure to pay the little voice in the back of my head screaming, "but Mr. Torchwick knows," as little attention as possible. Him knowing made sense at least.

I hadn't done anything to Weiss or Blake or to any of my friends to make them think I was a Salemite, let alone a Reaper. I fought a skin crawler with them for crying out loud! Humans didn't know Salemites fought amongst each other. At least, nothing I had read or studied in class said anything like that. We learned a little about Grimm migratory patterns, which was pretty interesting, and a little about Salemite migrations, which was both wrong and really funny in some cases, but nothing about real violence.

According to Professor Port, "Grimm fight other Grimm for territory, just like other wild animals. They migrate in order to stay near their preferred food source, and they attack others to show dominance. Nothing they do cannot be accounted for or learned about by looking and studying other animals. The same is mostly true with other forms of Salemites, particularly those in the Higher Order."

I had pretty much fallen asleep during that class as he began discussing how vampires were often found settling into territories near human settlements because it was near their food sources and breeding grounds. Nothing about how vampires chose to live near humans because they were still humans.

Weiss was shocked that I hadn't been paying attention in class. I thought I broke her. We all had a big laugh about that.

I sighed.

I hoped we would still be able to laugh like that in the future. Maybe I was overthinking things and they were talking about something else completely. Maybe they're just scared for me and my lack of sleep. Though I couldn't quite figure out how that would have broken Blake's trust in me.

Maybe it was time to tell them about me. What I really was.

Tears formed in my eyes, but I rubbed them away before they could fall. No. They were human. They wouldn't understand. They'd be scared. Horrified. I could never tell them. If I wanted to keep on living, I would have to keep this secret, just like I had been for so long. Maybe in a few more months of years, when I decided I had enough, and it was time to return to being the real me for good.

I could tell them then and then leave and then never see them again. That would be best, no matter how hard my heart was telling me it wasn't.

"Ugh!" I groaned, throwing around weak punches into my blanket and bed and pillow.

Why couldn't this be easier? Why did I think it was a good idea to befriend humans of all things? It wasn't like I could just leave and never see a human again. I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. But they just died so quickly, and they were just so squishy.

Even the ones who tried really hard to kill us.

And now my mood was soured even more.

This was all just so pointless. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't I just get my magic to work like it did in the cave? What was different about then than now? I was still me. I was still in my human form. I wasn't all that tired, but that was because I slept a full night. Was it because I was around other people?

No, that didn't make any sense. I was around people all the time. Even in the infirmary, there were people walking around in the halls. When I tried in classrooms and in my bed, there were people literally all around me.

Was it because of the Salemites? Was it the witches being so close that made it all work out? I shook my head at that idea. No, that didn't make much sense either. Why would my magic only work around other Salemites? Did that mean I had to be near them whenever I wanted to use magic?

Would I have to keep one around me if I wanted to have my magic last for a full month? Or just the starting bit? To use like a spark from a flint and steel to light a fire. Okay, maybe that idea wasn't so crazy.

But there had to be something else that worked. Right? Something that didn't involve me potentially endangering all these humans in the school, as well as my friends.

What else, what else? I wracked my brain trying to think of anything.

"Miss Rose?" I nearly jumped from the sudden intrusion, only to find a nurse leaning in the doorway, holding a clipboard.

"Yes?"

"Hi, I just wanted to let you know that the doctor will be in, in a few minutes to do some final tests before you are free to leave."

"What sort of tests? No needles?" I asked, hoping I sounded like someone scared of the pinprick, and not of accidently breaking the tool.

"No needles," the nurse said with a smile. "He will just be checking your eyes, nose and throat. Five minutes of testing and you will be free to return to your dormitory and friends."

"Thank you!" I called out, waving as she left.

That was good at least. I was getting bored waiting in the infirmary for so long. I wanted to be free from my prison! I yearned to see the blue sky with my own two eyes once more!

Pay no mind to the window and closed curtain barely outside my reach.

"Unfortunately no, sir." The doctor's voice drifted in from down the hall. It seemed like the nurse had forgotten to close my door. "Your brain scans show absolutely no signs of decay which is common in patients with your problem. It may be a short-term issue. Your memories should return in- Ah! Miss Ruby Rose."

His attention was on me now, having seen me listen in to his scroll call. He quickly told whoever he was talking to that he had a patient to see and would call back later, before pocketing the device and sitting down on the very end of my bed.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good."

"Any bumps, bruises, numbness anywhere?"

"Nope," I shook my head, popping my 'p' the way Yang likes to do.

The doctor smiled. "that's really good. Just what we like to hear. Okay, so your aura is in tip-top shape, which is perfect. It means you aren't healing anything without realizing it. Can I do a quick sensory check?"

I nodded and he took out a flashlight-telescope and a tongue stick and some third fancy tool which he placed one end on my chest and the other in his ear. I had no idea what it did, but it was cold, and he gave a funny look. But in the end, my eyes were shiny, my ears were clean, and my throat was… throaty?

Ya, I had no clue what he was doing looking into my mouth. I thought he wanted me to wiggle my tongue at him, but he held it down with his stick, so I definitely did that wrong. It was quick, just a few minutes like the nurse had said before he smiled at me once again and stood up.

"That's everything Miss Rose. You are in great condition. I'm going to give you a complete bill of good health. You can leave now if you wish to."

"Thank you, sir," I said as I stood up from my bed and stretched out my joints like people do. Now I could head back to my dorm room and go back to thinking about what else was different between now and the cave to get my magic to work.

"I'll let everyone know that you are able to join in on sparring practice and any other physical exercise," the doctor said just as he reached the door. "But do be careful not to stress your muscles out too much. They may still be tender for a few days, even if they seem perfectly fine right now."

"Ah- I-I will keep that in mind sir." My eyes went wide.

He smiled and gave me a small wave before finally departing down the hall.

It took me a moment to compose myself, but the grin forming on my lips was growing into a full-fledged smile.

Stress, he says?

* * *

**Dragonqueen1993 - Oh Ruby, you'd think that she'd have learned at least a little bit of human slang by now.**

**Cun - Thank you! Exactly what I was going for. I hope you're going to enjoy this second arc as more stuff is revealed!**

**Firewyrm2 - None taken? I don't think there's any reason to be offended by not remembering the question you posed. I know I look at the reviews on a second tab as I write out these replies just so I can remember them.**

**Dragon Lord Draco - Well, all I can say about that is, I hope you don't mind waiting just a little bit longer.**

**DarwenGwein - *shrugs* You will find out eventually... probably. Who knows? This entire story may be a red herring and it's actually just canon Ruby Rose's fever dream. Oh lord, wouldn't that be a terrible way to end this? Can't say anything but 'spoilers!' :)**


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